Turn and Turn About
by light4dawn
Summary: Turn and Turn About: in turn, alternately, now one, now the other, equally. It's Bella's eighteenth birthday, and she is unwittingly forced to go to a birthday party organized by Alice Cullen. We all know what happens there, right? Well in this story, a turn of events results in Jake being invited too! What is young Jacob in for? Jacob/Bella
1. Unexpected Invitation

**Warning** _Very indecisive, aggravatingly canon Bella—and that's all! That's right, this one has NO character deaths, NO excessive violence, and NO overly embellished swearing._

Credit for the story title goes to the one and only **_leelator_**—you know, the chick that knows how to seduce werewolves! She came up with the title for me because I suck at coming up with them and she's title goddess!

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**_Disclaimer: _**_The following is based on the characters, settings, and events from the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. All recognizable and/or trademarked elements, including, but not limited to, characters, settings, events, plot points, etcetera, are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. The author of this specific story (known by the pen name, light4dawn) is not associated with Stephenie Meyer, or any affiliates involved with the Twilight series. This work is intended for entertainment purposes only, and no profit is knowingly generated as a result of it. Only aspects entirely unique and original to this story are owned by this story's author._

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_I'd like to thank **Niamhg**, who gave me the inspiration for this story. _

_Before I started writing it, I knew I wanted to expand on one of my drabbles from round six of The Twilight 25. That's when I decided to ask Niamhg which drabble she'd to see expanded into a longer story. In reply, she suggested I group a few together and gave me a few examples. I loved this idea, and upon further reflection, realized pretty much all of them, with some effort, could be included in one story. Thus, the concept was born! _

_Of course, once I finished outlining the story, I realized inclusion of every single drabbles into a single story required a few ridiculous events to occur. An example is "First Kill", where Sam beheads James after the baseball game in Twilight, and "Catch Him at the Ballet Studio" where Jasper and Alice go after James earlier than canon. In order for both events to occur, James would have to be reassembled after "First Kill". I didn't like that because the Cullens wouldn't do it, and it was doubtful either Victoria or Laurent would have had opportunity to run off with James's corpse with seven Cullens standing about._

_So, Turn and Turn About takes place in a universe where most (but not all) the events included in my Twilight 25 drabbles will (or have) occur. Which drabbles are used will not be overtly listed or revealed until the story has ended, at which time I'll post a timeline complete with chapter numbers, drabble(s) that occurred during it, and drabbles that occurred prior to the story. _

_This story is not an extension of a drabble or a set of them. Instead, the drabbles I have chosen are events that have, or shall occur during the course of the story. As a result, you won't be reading the exact 100 words from many (if any) of them, but you will from time to time read exact dialogue from them (there is some in Chapter 1 below)._

_There is no need to have read the drabbles to follow this story; however, each drabble is exactly 100 words, and there are twenty-five in total. If you were to read all of them, it would be shorter than one chapter of most fics. Just saying…_

_You can read them here: fanfiction[dotnet]/s/7897162/1/Twilight_25_Round_6_

_Before we begin, I must thank my beta, **JaspersDestiny** who came out of her sickbed to beta this chapter in time for me to post by Friday! Thanks!_

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**Unexpected Invitation**

_September 13, 2005_

I guess it was true what they said: adrenaline does surge in an emergency, giving you the ability to do what you never could before.

It was only by chance that I happened to be in Forks that day. Someone had told me they thought they'd seen a master cylinder for the Rabbit in some thrift shop. Of course, they were wrong.

I was walking across the street to meet up with my ride when I heard a loud blast. There was smoke everywhere, people screaming, and cars screeching to a halt.

That was when I noticed the flashing lights amid the mess of tangled metal. Not too many people in Forks had a police cruiser, which meant there was a good chance Charlie was in there. Without a thought, I ran into the thick smoke.

Charlie was inside his car, which was lying on one side with the driver's door at the top. He was struggling to get out, but his door wouldn't open, and he wasn't using the window. It seemed like something was keeping him trapped inside the car. He looked up with relief as I approached, but his expression changed once I got close enough for him to recognize who I was.

"Jake, get the hell out of here! The car might blow up! The firefighters are on their way, I'm sure." Yeah, the twenty middle-aged volunteers who maybe saw a fire about once a decade—I wasn't going to wait around for _them_.

I didn't reply. It would require too much effort and oxygen.

"Get out of here now, or I'll…I'll make Billy ground you till you're thirty!"

Figures. The guy was on the verge of dying from smoke inhalation, trapped inside his cruiser, and he _still_ couldn't swear!

I peered in through the window and saw what was keeping Charlie from getting out. The crash had pushed the dash, and it had collapsed on his lap. I tried to reach in to get his leg out, but the space was tight and the back seats were separated from the front. Damn police cars.

The door was my only option, but the handle would rip off if I pulled on it too hard.

"Lean away from the door, Charlie."

"Jake, what do you think you're doing? You're too damn skinny to rip a door out!"

Guess the guy was able to swear after all. I decided to let the insult go by. This was no time to look for ego petting.

With one hand on either side of the window frame, I grabbed the door. Charlie was right—I wasn't strong enough. Why couldn't Sam be here? He was the biggest guy on the reservation. If anyone could get this damn door opened with his bare hands it would be him.

I closed my eyes and pulled as hard as I could, hoping for that surge of adrenaline I had heard about but always believed to be myth.

Maybe the car was lighter than most. It could be that parts of the door had come apart or broken off. But whatever the reason, I was able to rip it right out, and I landed flat on my ass with the door on top of me. It was a hard enough fall that I should have been hurt—or at least winded—but I felt fine.

Once the initial shock faded, I dropped the car door onto the asphalt and got up to get Charlie. The dash couldn't be too heavy, could it? If part of the engine had been pushed in, it might be. As with the door, the dash lifted easily, giving Charlie plenty of room to get out.

He winced, unable to stand on both legs, with little space to maneuver in. Eventually, he was clear of the dash and I was free to pull him out.

Without thinking, I moved in front of him once we were on the ground and squatted slightly.

"Get up on my back, Charlie."

"I'm not getting piggy-backed by you, Jake!"

"You can't walk!"

"I'll crawl!" My sisters were right—men _were_ idiots.

"You'll die first!"

I didn't wait for an answer. I reached back and lifted him onto my back. Even during a life or death situation, I recognized how imbecilic we would look as we came out of the smoke. I was a fifteen-year-old kid piggy-backing the town sheriff. Eh, desperate times called for desperate measures.

He was lighter than I anticipated. Perhaps some of that heightened adrenaline was still lingering…

Charlie was right about the car too—it blew up.

There was so much activity that I was only able to get some of the details of what happened. Some truck came into town, driven recklessly, and Charlie was close by and tried to pull the guy over, but things didn't work out so well. It turned out the truck was transporting something that was either flammable or explosive, or both.

After I got out with Charlie chaos broke out around me. People were all talking to me at once but not listening to my answers. A few minutes later, someone pulled on my arm and led me away from the crowd. It wasn't until I was seated that I realized I was in the back of an ambulance with Charlie. I thought of Leah and how pissed she'd be when I didn't show up at our meeting spot. Seth would keep her calm, and they'd figure out what had happened sooner or later. Forks was a small place—news travelled fast.

All the way to the hospital, Charlie kept grumbling that nothing was wrong with him. He ended up being pretty much right. Charlie had a broken leg, a few scrapes and bruises, but otherwise he was unharmed. During this time I didn't take note of anything or anyone around me. The place was a flurry of activity and confusion. Focusing on anything other than the two of us was too difficult—that was, until I heard _her_ speak.

I'd only seen her a couple times, months ago, so I didn't think I'd recognize her voice, but I did. The thought of our last meeting, when I had crashed her prom, embarrassed me. I was sure my face was going red, but Charlie wasn't paying attention.

"My father's in the hospital, Edward! The last thing he needs is for his only daughter to be the victim of a car accident!" I pictured in my mind how she'd look pissed off, like she probably was right now. The image made me smile.

"I'm terribly sorry, love. I was only thinking of Charlie and how concerned you were. Ah, but no need to worry, he's fine—just a broken leg." How would he know _that_? Oh, that's right, his dad was a doctor. Maybe he had called him first. But he sounded like he had _just_ found out. I mean, if he knew beforehand, why would he have driven here in such a way that Bella was upset about it?

"How would you know? We haven't seen him yet!" There was a short pause before she spoke again. "Oh, yeah, forgot about the mind thing." Mind thing? What was _that_ all about?

They should have been close for me to hear all this, but it was taking them a long time to get here.

Charlie seemed unaware his daughter was mere steps away. Was he unable to hear her? Maybe his hearing was starting to go. I mean, the guy _was_ old, probably forty or something.

After what seemed like an eternity, during which every beep and tick of the medical equipment screamed in my ears, she appeared.

The guy she was with, her boyfriend from the prom, glared at me. What the hell was up with _that_? He couldn't possibly be upset about the prom after all this time!

"Wish you didn't come, Bells," Charlie said to her. "Jake would've taken me home. He saved me, you know."

"He did?" Incredulous, she looked me up and down. I had changed a bit since prom. In addition to the couple of inches in height, I had also filled out a bit. It wasn't like I had turned into Quil, but at least I didn't look like a complete beanpole anymore. She blushed, and her head shook slightly as her eyes came up to meet mine again.

"Tore the door right off and pulled me out before the explosion," Charlie continued, not taking note of the subtle movements I could see in his daughter.

"Thank you!" she said to me. Then she smiled and turned to her boyfriend. "Guess the party's cancelled." She was completely happy about this! Since when did a girl _not_ want to go to a party, especially in Forks where nothing ever happened?

"What party?" Charlie asked.

"Bella's birthday party," the doctor's kid replied.

"Bells, go, have fun. I'm fine." Charlie waved his hand at her, as though he were shooing her away.

She bit her bottom lip. It seemed the thought of attending her own birthday party was torture.

"Jacob, want to come?" she asked out of nowhere. "As a proper thank you." She smiled at me, and I thought I saw her eyelashes bat. "They've gone all out." I'm sure they had. They were probably the wealthiest people west of Seattle.

"Sure, sure," I blurted out, instantly regretting it. What was I thinking? We barely knew each other, and that entire Cullen family was about as intimidating as they came! They were the richest people these parts had ever seen, all good looking, and not a single one was my age.

"Perfect!" She looked genuinely happy that I had said yes. Okay, maybe this wouldn't be such a disaster after all. Then she turned to her boyfriend and gave him a smug smile. There was more to this than I knew.

I looked down at my torn, stained clothes. I was a wreck and probably smelled of smoke.

Her boyfriend pulled on her elbow and jerked his head, indicating he'd like her to leave. She gave him an irritated glare but followed.

They didn't go far enough because I overheard the entire conversation even though they were whispering. What was up with _that_? Maybe I'd been exposed to some chemicals that made my hearing better.

"Love, the boy is uncomfortable." Was I _that_ easy to read?

"He said yes! It's _my_ birthday party, isn't it?"

"Yes, but he's just come back from the scene of a disaster and is in no state to attend any event." That made me even more self-conscious about my disheveled state.

"Don't be a snob! I don't care how he's dressed. And as I've already pointed out, it's _my_ party!"

"He's downright embarrassed, and it's more than his current state. The boy is aware this is a celebration for your birthday, and he has no gift to give."

Shit, I hadn't even thought of that!

"Jacob saved my father's life! That's better than any gift that can be purchased!" I hadn't thought of that either, but I was glad _she_ had. It made me feel better about the situation. "I…I didn't mean it that way! I'm sure whatever all of you have bought me is great, even though I told you I didn't want anything…" She let out a loud sigh, like my sisters do when they're irritated with me. "Look, Alice isn't expecting us for a couple of hours or so. I'll bring Jacob over to my house and let him clean up there."

"I can come by and pick you up."

"Edward, I have a car."

"That monstrosity can hardly be deemed a car."

He was talking about the truck I had rebuilt! It wasn't like all of us had an unlimited supply of money!

"I don't need you to pick us up, and it'll probably make Jacob feel uncomfortable."

"Love, the entire evening will make that boy feel uncomfortable."

"Better not, because he's my father's best friend's son and he saved Charlie's life! I expect _all_ of you to be welcoming."

"Love, how can you think any less of us? You know we always exhibit impeccable manners… Okay, most of us do, in any event." Now it was his turn to let out a frustrated sigh. "It is your birthday, I suppose. Fine, whatever you wish. You may drive over with him in your truck."

Was the guy giving her _permission_ to drive her own truck?

There was a momentary silence as they walked back to the examination area where Charlie and I were. Edward looked peeved; Bella looked pleased.

"Jacob, if you're okay with it, you're welcome to come to my place to get cleaned up first and then we can drive over to the party together."

"Sure, sure, but what about Charlie?" I asked.

Her face crinkled with irritation, a little wrinkle appearing between her eyebrows. Then her eyes lit up, and she turned to look at her boyfriend.

"Why don't _you_ make sure my Dad gets home?" Charlie nearly choked on his water when she said that. Guess he wasn't too fond of copper curls.

"No need, Edward. One of the guys at the station can come get me."

"Dad, aren't they all at the scene of…whatever caused all this?"

"Well…er… I mean…"

I wondered if Bella was as bad a liar as Charlie was.

"I thought so. Edward, please stay with him? If someone else comes, you can leave, but if the doctor discharges him before that, make sure he gets home safely, okay?"

"Of course, love."

Who used "love" like that? Sounded like something from those stupid black and white romance movies Rebecca used to watch all the time—the ones that were made when Ephraim Black was chief!

"Darn!" Bella exclaimed. "My truck–"

"Is parked inconveniently," Edward said, cutting her off. It didn't seem like the truth. Bella looked confused, and the guy was looking at her in a weird way. "I'll go get it and bring it around to the visitor parking lot."

"Oh…thanks, Edward."

Well, _that_ was strange.

He left immediately, leaving the three of us in silence. It looked like I'd have to be the one to break it.

"Why don't we go wait for…him to bring the car around?" Why wasn't I able to use his name? I knew what it was. Bella smiled, probably relieved to leave now that she knew her father was okay.

"Dad, are you–"

"Go!" Charlie waved his hand, directing us to leave. "I wouldn't mind a little privacy before what's his name comes back and stares at me all afternoon."

"Dad–"

"Yeah, yeah, I take it back, now go!"

The two of us walked away. I noticed she'd shoved her hands into her pockets even though it was a pretty warm day. It was a little insulting. I knew what she was thinking. She was probably turning eighteen—she _was_ a senior—and I was a dumb sophomore who wasn't old enough to even have a driver's license. I played it cool, giving her plenty of personal space and keeping my own hands in my pockets as well.

"So, it's your birthday today?"

"Yeah, but I don't like making a big deal out of it."

"That's cool—neither does Charlie, so I'm used to it."

"Oh…I guess you've been around on his birthdays? Or…at least your dad has?"

"Generally the two of them and Harry Clearwater hang out at Charlie's drinking beer and watching TV on his birthday. I come along for the ride to make sure the old men eat something too."

She looked sad. Maybe she was feeling bad about having missed her dad's birthdays.

"So, Charlie's not so fond of your boyfriend," I said jokingly, in an attempt to change the subject.

"He's okay with Edward. It's just that I was…away for a bit last spring."

"Yeah, I know."

"You _do_?"

"Yeah, Charlie called my dad for advice when you ran away." She seemed to cringe at the latter part.

"He did? Why?"

"Because my dad's raised two girls already."

"Oh, that's right. How was he…you know, when I was away?"

I shrugged. What was I supposed to tell her—the truth? Charlie had been a wreck, blaming himself for her leaving and thinking she had died. Nope, telling her that probably wouldn't be smart.

"He was upset, I guess." I shrugged my shoulders. "But Dad and Harry were there for him." She didn't look convinced. "Hey, he was fine! It's not like he jumped off a cliff or anything, right?"

I smiled, hoping to make light of the topic, and she smiled back.

"Oh, we're in the visitor parking lot. I…I don't think I remember where I parked…" She turned around in slow circles looking for her truck.

I scanned the lot, expecting to see the guy pulling in. It hadn't been that long of a wait, and he'd probably had to walk all the way out to the far end to get the truck since the lot was pretty full.

"There! Over in the third row!" I pointed in the direction of the red monster I had rebuilt with my own two hands. He must have lucked out finding a parking spot so close.

Bella smiled, relieved, which struck me as kind of extreme considering the circumstances. What was she stressed about—that we wouldn't be able to find her truck when we already knew which lot it'd be in, or maybe that someone had stolen the beast? I shrugged it off as the two of us made our way over. She had kept it in good shape. That accident she had last winter hadn't put a scratch on it.

Once, I had begged my dad to sell this thing to Charlie but realized now that I missed it. It was familiar to me still, and sitting on the old vinyl seat made me feel homesick.

Bella was an infuriatingly slow driver, and since I didn't have a license, I couldn't offer to drive. To get my mind off the snail's pace we were moving at, I began talking. About what, I have no freaking idea! It's possible I may have made an idiot of myself, but she looked happy the whole time, nodding and acknowledging what I said, and once in a while she would add something to the conversation.

It was difficult to think about mature conversation topics with the smell of her shampoo filling the cab of the truck, and the way she kept licking her lips intermittently… The whole thing made me hot, literally, but she had all the windows rolled up and kept her jacket on. I decided she'd probably appreciate it if the windows stayed closed, so I suffered in silence. My face felt so heated I was sure it had turned red. Small beads of sweat began forming on the back of my neck, making my hair stick to it. Why did she have to drive so slowly?

Deciding that staring at her wasn't helping my perspiration problem, I focused instead on what clothing of Charlie's I could possibly borrow that wouldn't make me look like a total dweeb. My concerns turned out to be unwarranted.

When we got to the house, Bella ran upstairs and then quickly came back down with track pants and a tee shirt, tossing them my way and asking me to give her my clothes so she could wash them. I hadn't expected _that_. The last girl—actually, she was a woman—who had washed my clothes was my mom. Rachel and Rebecca were too fussy about the wash, and Dad and I were too impatient to figure out their complex sorting routine, so we did our laundry ourselves.

As predicted, Charlie's clothes made me look idiotic. The pants were loose around the waist, and I had to pull the drawstrings tight, which made them balloon out over my hips. At least the tee shirt was long enough to hide some of the bunching.

Bella was already sitting on the couch when I came back into the den. I guess it didn't take her long to get my clothes in the washer. It seemed a little strange that she wasn't upstairs getting ready for her party, but then again, a girl who liked a clunky truck—she _told_ me she liked it—probably wasn't high maintenance.

"It's going a take a while for your clothes to be washed and dried," she said.

"I'm not going to make you late for your own party, am I?"

"No! That's not what I meant. It's just that…you know, you'll have to wait here."

She sounded nervous and looked uncomfortable. Wasn't this _her_ home, and wasn't _I_ the fifteen-year-old crashing a senior's birthday party?

"I don't mind if you don't mind." I smiled, hoping it would make her feel more at ease.

"No, not at all." She sat on the edge of her seat, looking as though she was balanced at the very end of the sofa cushion.

What was I supposed to do now? I couldn't very well sit next to her. She was seated in the middle of the couch. If I sat there, I'd be in her personal space. The only other seat was Charlie's easy chair, and that seemed rude. In a panic, my eyes scanned the room, looking for something to rescue me. I saw the remote control sitting on Charlie's chair, so I grabbed it and sat on the arm. This was okay. I wasn't taking over Charlie's spot, but I wasn't in her space either, and since I had to come here for the remote it didn't seem like I was avoiding her either.

"Anything you like to watch this time of day? Do you follow a soap?" She laughed. "What's so funny?" Wasn't that what chicks did? Rach and Becca used to watch them all the time. They raced home after school to watch them, in fact.

"Nothing. I mean, no, I don't follow a soap opera." She smiled at me smugly but looked more relaxed.

"Okay, anything else you'd like to watch?"

"Not really. Why don't you pick something?"

I shrugged and flipped through the channels. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as she shuffled through some books on the coffee table, pretending not to pay attention to the television. When a sports event passed the screen, I noticed her face scrunch up. I decided on a show where they test drive and rate cars.

Passing the time with her was comfortable. There wasn't much said between us, but it wasn't silent either. At first she pretended she was interested in Charlie's fishing magazine. Then she threw it down, leaned back into the couch, and began watching the show. I guess the magazine was as boring as it looked.

Never would I have imagined she'd be interested in cars, but Bella asked me questions about the show, the vehicles, and how I knew what I knew. It was even better than when I met her at the beach last the winter.

"Then how do they decide which is better? I mean, I bet most guys would want more power, but I'd prefer the one that's more fuel efficient."

"They use some arbitrary scale or something where they calculate the value for fuel efficiency with horse power."

"Huh?"

"You know, whichever car offers the most power but uses the least amount of gas."

"But all of them get a different number of miles per gallon, and they all have different horsepower. It's like comparing apples to oranges."

"Not really. They do something with the numbers to get comparable values, I guess. To be honest, I've never really scrutinized the math behind it." In fact, I hadn't ever questioned it until now. How _did_ they decide which car was better?

"And what about the price? I mean, sure, the blue car has lots of power and gets similar mileage as a lot of the others with less, but it's much more expensive."

She was making me dizzy.

"You some math nerd or something?"

"No…why do you ask?"

"Because you're taking my 'I feel like watching something light' viewing choice and turning it into homework."

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."

"Why're you apologizing? I'm the one sitting in _your_ house, watching _your_ television, while you wash _my_ dirty clothes so I can crash _your_ birthday party!"

"I guess there's that…" She giggled and leaned back into the couch again. Bella looked relaxed and content.

When the dryer finally beeped, signaling the end of our banter, my heart sank a little. I couldn't remember the last time I had talked to a girl so easily. And she was honestly interested in cars. Well, at least she knew about them, but I was sure she still had no desire to get in one and test its limits. Bella was different. She wasn't showy, and she didn't care about how something looked or if others liked it or not. The entire time we watched shows and talked about them, the thing I kept picking up on was her need to know the purpose of everything. If there wasn't a use for something, she didn't care to know more about it. I liked that about her.

For me, being with Bella was more than trying to impress a pretty girl. We talked to each other like friends, as though we had been a part of each other's lives forever.

This was how it was with us. We even joked around and teased each other. When we were sharing this sort of banter, her entire face lit up, making her cheeks go pink like they did when she blushed. The easiness continued as we made our way to the party in her truck, making fun of our fathers and their love of fishing, until she pulled onto a dark gravel road.

It didn't take long for me to realize it wasn't a road at all. We rounded a corner, and in the distance I saw a large, white house. This was their _driveway_!

"Wonder if they ever bring home ice cream before it's melted," I muttered.

"They don't eat ice cream."

Who didn't like ice cream? Sure, Forks was generally damp and cold, but we _did_ get sunny days, and I was pretty sure they had decent heating in that house.

"Weird."

"They're sort of…eccentric."

"Is that why you asked me to come, as a buffer?"

"No! I mean, sort of, I guess." She was as bad a liar as Charlie. "Alice, Edward's sister, can get carried away sometimes… But, I am grateful for what you did for Charlie. This isn't really for that. I could never pay you back for that."

"You could try…"

"Uh…how?"

"I don't know… You don't have any ideas?"

"Uh…no? I _did_ wash your clothes today." She was smiling now.

"That's not a bad start…"

"Start? Exactly what more were you thinking?" The truck was going so slowly I wasn't sure if her foot was on the accelerator.

"You know, a lifetime of servitude, that sort of thing."

"Uh huh. You don't ask for much, do you?"

"Hey, it's only fair! It's like…a life for a life."

"I'll get right on that." She rolled her eyes, but her mouth was turned up at the corners. "And for my first task, I'll bring you in so you can feast on cake!"

Bella turned into the drive, not bothering to park her car properly. She left the truck in front of the house, the passenger side facing the door. I guess this meant there wouldn't be any other guests. Some party this was going to be.

"So, it's just us, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry. I should've told you."

"It's cool, just don't abandon me. No offense, but that family's a little creepy."

"I'll stay close, promise." She looked right at me when she said that. I was mesmerized, staring into her eyes, when I felt her cool fingers on mine. Bella was holding my hand! "Come on, you ready?" I could only nod. "Okay, here goes nothing."

She pulled me up the front steps, her hand tight around mine. Before she got close enough to knock, the door flew open and an extremely small girl with short dark hair stood on the other side, an obvious frown on her face. She noticed me staring at her and instantly put on a smile.

"Bella, you've brought a friend! I'm so glad you changed your mind and decided to invite some people after all." She held out her hand in my direction. I tried not to look irritated at the fact that I was now forced to remove my right hand from Bella's grasp. Even though she was wearing gloves, her fingers felt cold. Not cool like Bella's but cold like ice cubes. "I'm Alice Cullen, Bella's best friend, and you are?"

"Jacob Black," I answered, but I surprised myself by saying in my head, _Bella's soon to be new boyfriend._

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_So, I haven't established a concrete updating schedule for this story yet. I'm going to aim for Tuesday to post Chapter 2, but I make no promises. My beta is still a little under the weather, I've taken on some other stuff that's occupying a bit of my time, and I'm not nearly as "ahead" as I wanted to be. On a happier note, I have enjoyed writing this story, which is good._

_I hope you enjoyed reading it, and as always, reviews are much appreciated!_

_Oh! Wait! One more thing… It's just an FYI… All my stories were written after June, 2011, and my first story ever was Journey to a New Day which began in August of 2011… You know, in case you were wondering…because you're participating in nominations for the JBNP Awards or something…_


	2. Let the Celebration Begin!

_Okay, I've changed my mind. As of now, the rules have changed!_

_You may or may not notice, but within any given chapter of this story, there may be a drabble or two. It's fine if you don't recognize it, but it might make you feel clever to have noticed. (At least, that's how I'd feel because I'm smug about useless, petty things like that.)_

_If a drabble happened prior to the fic, and knowledge of it is required to understand the events of an upcoming chapter, I'll copy the applicable drabble(s) at the beginning of the chap because there's no reason for anyone to be confused! _

_In this chapter, there are two "drabble events" that took place prior to the story. For that reason, I have included the two applicable drabbles in their entirety (yeah, all 100 words from each) at the beginning. _

_I hope all of you understand what I've just written because I feel like I'm barely making sense to myself here._

_Before we get to Chapter 2, I must first thank my beta, **JaspersDestiny**, from Sparkly Red Pen for once again betaing my story. She was the beta for the latter half of my previous multi-chapter fic, and I "special requested" her this time because I have a writer's crush on her._

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**Events that occurred prior to the start of Turn and Turn About:**

Pairing/Main Character(s): Sam, Carlisle

**Run Them Out of Town**

_Takes place after Chapter 1 of Twilight but before Edward returns from Alaska – deviates from canon just prior to start of drabble._

He wouldn't try anything in the café. It was a public place.

"I thought the… species had died off with Ephraim's pack."

"You thought wrong."

"And you feel our presence here caused these… mutations."

I gritted my teeth.

"There's no other explanation. Already another boy is beginning the transformation," I added, thinking of Jared.

"Leaving would solve Edward's little dilemma," he muttered.

"What dilemma?"

"It seems a new resident in town is…well, that is of no matter to you. There's no need for bad blood — we don't want to cause hardships for your tribe. We shall take residence elsewhere."

_NOTE: Drabble took place between Jan. 18-24, 2005, but that does NOT mean the Cullens came back on the 24th. In fact, I'm setting the date for their return as March 1st. Their absence led to Bella avoiding death during the parking lot accident in some other way (standing in a slightly different position, attention not diverted, etc…), NOT because Edward rescued her. The important thing to note here is that the Cullens **did** leave for a while in hopes of stopping the transformation of the Quileutes from phasing._

* * *

Pairing/Main Character(s): Alice/Bella

**Catch Him at the Ballet Studio**

_March 16, 2005_

_Drabble remains in canon, except a correction is made. Alice stays true to the attributes of Twilight vampires and can hear subtle nuances over the phone, and most definitely James's voice, because they're supposed to have supernatural hearing!_

"Your mother…sounds strange—like there's a filter or static," Alice said.

I took the phone.

"Bella? Bella?"

Alice moved closer, looking perplexed.

"Mom? You okay?"

Next came a barely audible whisper.

"Go to the other room and close the door."

Had Alice heard?

Yes. She snatched the phone and spoke into it.

"I know it's you, and that was a recording!" She hung up and dialed.

"Jazz, I know where he is! Meet me in the lobby." She hung up and turned to me. "Bella, go to the hotel's café patio. Stay in the sun until we get back."

_NOTE: James was killed by Alice and Jasper without Bella getting bitten and injured, or Edward tasting her blood._

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Let the Celebration Begin!**

September 13, 2005

Something felt wrong.

The first thing I noticed when I entered the main room was the gigantic birthday cake. It was fancier than any wedding cake I'd seen, and I knew no bakery in these parts could have made it. It was too big for eight people, but that's all who were present. Well, nine, now that I had tagged along.

There was also the dinner that no one ate. Some fantastic food had been brought in from a restaurant in Port Angeles, but it seemed only Bella and I ate much of it. Sure, everyone sat at the dining room table, and they all had a plateful, but the food was played with more than eaten. Once in a while I'd see one of them put a forkful in their mouth, but they chewed in slow motion with weird expressions on their faces. I might have assumed the girls were on a diet, because chicks were always on diets, but the guys were doing the same thing. The one guy, Emmett, was huge like Sam, and while Sam ate like there was no tomorrow, Emmett ate less than either of my sisters!

Dessert was more of the same. All of them, except for Edward, refused a serving, saying they were full. How anyone other than Bella and me could be full was a mystery. And what they were going to do with all of the leftover cake was an even bigger mystery. The leftovers would've taken up all the space inside our refrigerator at home.

As much as I enjoyed being around Bella, the evening wasn't exactly "fun". Everything in the house was so…_clean_. I was afraid to touch or sit on the furniture, and when I went to the bathroom it looked like it had never been used! The towels were pristine, as though they had never been touched. The first sheet on the toilet paper roll was folded into a point, the soap dispenser was full right to the top, and not one drop of water was in the sink. Maybe they all used their own bathrooms upstairs and this was only for guests. I guess rich people did things like that.

When I got back, everyone was standing around looking uncomfortable. It appeared they were waiting for me. Bella was up front with all her gifts. Great, she was going to open her presents, and I had nothing to give her.

I walked into the room hesitantly, not sure where I should go, but Bella saw me and came to my rescue.

"Jake, there you are! Here, come stand next to me," she said.

My face broke out into a smile, one that was equally from relief as it was from her attention.

The gifts were something else. It was a good thing I hadn't bought anything for her because anything I could have gotten would have looked pathetic next to the car stereo they gave her. It wasn't any old stereo either—it was the best, and for the old Chevy of all things!

"I can install that for you if you'd like," I offered. The big guy looked kind of peeved, and his girlfriend elbowed him the way girls do when they want their boyfriends to behave themselves. Hmm, wonder what was up with them?

"That would be perfect, Jake!" Bella said, surprising me with a hug. I was stunned at first, but it only lasted a second, after which I wrapped my arms around her, reciprocating.

"Love, there's a gift here from Carlisle and Esme." Oh yeah, she had a boyfriend. Rats.

"More than the stereo?"

"Bella, dear, that was from the children. This is from the two of us. I hope you don't mind, but we spent a little more than you wanted."

Bella gingerly took the envelope from the doctor's wife, as though it were fragile. "Esme, you shouldn't have…"

"Why don't you wait until you open it before deciding if they should or shouldn't have. I have a feeling you'll be happy Carlisle and Esme did." Guess the boyfriend knew what it was.

What could fit into an envelope that was expensive? It couldn't be money because that would be tacky, and Bella would never take money from anyone. Concert tickets, maybe? Nah, she didn't seem like the kind that'd go nuts over some band.

I stepped a little closer, leaning my head in. Besides Bella and me, everyone else already knew what it was, so it wasn't like they needed a good view.

It happened fast.

She held the envelope awkwardly and slipped a finger into the small opening of the flap. The paper was thick and lined with something shiny, almost metallic.

The moment her finger lifted to tear the flap, I knew what would happen. I thought to reach over and grab her hand, but I spent too much time worrying about how it would look. If I did it, she wouldn't know I was preventing a cut, but if I didn't, she'd get injured. Okay, so "injured" might be a little strong to describe a paper cut, or in this case, a paper plus metallic-shiny-thing cut. Anyhow, what mattered was that I didn't act fast enough.

The envelope was only stuck down in the center, not all the way across. The paper was strong, especially with the shiny part on it, so the flap didn't tear away. The bottom of the glued area near her finger lifted easily, as it hadn't been moistened and sealed. Her finger slid along the edge, slicing into the skin. It was the worst paper cut I'd ever seen.

It began with a shout, which was strange because there had been no other sound—not a grunt, growl, or shifting of feet, but someone knew it was going to happen.

"Jasper, no!" a high-pitched voice screamed.

The events that came next unfolded in seconds, but somehow I saw, heard, and felt every detail, as if in slow motion.

The blond dude had his teeth bared, and some kind of liquid glistened from his mouth. He was ready to attack, to come after Bella and me.

Then I changed.

This time, it wasn't a burst of adrenaline, like with Charlie. My clothes grew tight on me. The room felt as cold as ice, but sweat streamed down my face. I heard a growl and realized it had come out of my own mouth. The big guy and his girlfriend grabbed the lunatic blond. Bella's boyfriend moved in our direction. Reason would have told me it was to protect Bella, but something else, something deep inside me that was anything but reasonable, told me otherwise.

He lunged toward us with concern and horror on his face, but while in mid-air, his eyes became glassy and dazed, the pupils alarmingly dilated. His upper lip quivered and revealed the sharp tips of white canines. One drop of what I assumed to be saliva fell from his mouth.

There was no thought given to my movements. I grabbed a lit candlestick with one hand and knocked over a rack of newspapers with my foot. I lit the pile, and smoke billowed in front of us.

Next, I jumped over the flames that had started to form as rage consumed me. In the air I became blind to all sights and sounds in the room except for my target: Edward. Instead of the screams and shouts from around me, I heard more familiar voices.

"_Jacob?"_

"_How can you tell? It's so faint."_

"_I'm not imagining this? You guys can feel it too?"_

"_Barely."_

"_That's why I thought I was imagining it."_

I hit my target, and all was silent. Was it a person or a brick wall I'd hit? I heard something pop, and pain shot into my shoulder. I fell onto the carpet with a thud. My limbs wouldn't move the way I commanded them to, but my hearing had returned.

"All of you get out! The boy is on the verge of transforming!" The words echoed in my ear. Who were they talking about? I suppose I was the closest to being a boy. In what way was I transforming?

"But Bella, she's in danger!" a squeaky girl's voice shouted.

"More from Edward and Jasper than the boy! I will take care of this. If it happens here, he will be too confused to fight well. Esme, Alice, take Edward out of here!"

"Carlisle, I'm sorry…I think I can control myself now."

"No, you can't! This is the first time you've smelled her blood like this, spilled, and outside her body. Already your eyes show thirst, and venom has welled in your mouth. Leave, Edward, before you do something you will never forgive yourself for."

The blond chick and the big guy were dragging out the crazy dude. I saw them outside on the front porch. The little girl and the doctor's wife were pulling on Edward as he stepped back slowly, his eyes focused on Bella.

"Where should we go, Carlisle?"

"Far away, Esme. Don't run, drive! Leave the state. I'll call when things have settled down."

"But why?"

"I think our presence, and this sudden danger, has triggered the change. The boy's body temperature has dropped minutely. If you all get far enough away, his transformation may not complete itself—at least not tonight."

"You can't be sure it's us… When we left last winter, those other two still phased."

"This is too much of a coincidence, Esme."

"He may have transformed regardless. He is the direct descendent of Ephraim, is he not?"

"Yes, but he's only fifteen. You saw him when he arrived—he was thin, with a soft, boyish face. It was too early for the first phase."

"The first phase? What's wrong with him, Carlisle?"

"He'll be fine, Bella, but I don't feel right telling you the reason for his condition."

"Why? I don't understand–"

"It's not my secret to share. You of all people can understand that, can you not?"

It grew quiet again, until there were only hushed whispers from Bella and the doctor.

"Let me tend to your injuries while the boy rests. His heart rate is going back to normal, and his body temperature has dropped significantly. I was right, it was our presence."

"Your presence?"

"Nothing for you to worry about. Now, let's look at that arm…"

I don't know how long I was out for. With all the activity, I had completely forgotten what time it was when everything had begun, but it was 10:27 p.m. when I woke up. I knew this because a digital clock was staring me in the face the moment my eyes opened.

Where was I? I sat up in the bed and looked around. Bed? How had I gotten _here_? For some reason, I had a hard time remembering anything that happened after Bella opened her presents. In fact, I only remembered the stereo and an envelope… What had been in that envelope?

The room was dark. The only light came from the hallway; the door had been left slightly ajar. I got up and went out the door, down the hallway, and downstairs.

"How are you feeling, Jacob?" It was the doctor.

Looking at him brought images into my mind. There was glass, blood, fire… What did this mean? Maybe it was from a dream. I examined him, in search of evidence—of what, I was unsure. He looked normal, and the room was in perfect condition. There were no bloodstains and no evidence of a fire. It _must_ have been a dream…

"You think you're up to getting home now, Jake?" The voice came from the sofa, behind the doctor. He stepped aside so I could see Bella.

Her face came into view first. She had rosy cheeks, thick, wavy hair, and those soft, brown eyes that were just like Charlie's, yet nothing like Charlie's at the same time. I felt a smile form on my face as I looked at the peachy skin on her neck. My eyes followed the fabric of her dress to her shoulder and down to her hands, which were clasped on her lap. Yep, she looked normal too.

"I guess… It's kind of late, huh?"

"Yeah, but don't worry. I called Charlie, and he let Billy know."

"What happened? I don't understand how I could've fallen asleep at your birthday party. I kind of feel like an idiot." Why couldn't I remember anything other than that stupid dream? Wait, where was everyone else? "Where're the others?" I asked. No one answered.

A sinking feeling came over me. But it couldn't be…it _had_ to be a dream.

"It…it was getting late, Jake, so…they…uh…" What was she saying? Getting late? How was that relevant? This was _their_ home!

"You lie as badly as Charlie." She did. Under any other circumstance I might have found this amusing.

"Jacob, this is something you need to discuss with your father." What the hell was the guy talking about? How would _Dad_ know what happened to the rest of the Cullens? "What do you remember?"

"That's the thing… After Bella began opening presents, I don't know what happened."

"There are no memories, not even impressions of events after that?"

"Not really…"

"'Not really' would indicate there was _something_."

"Just a dream."

"Tell your father about the…_dream_. He will understand." Again with my father! He knew something, probably _everything_, but what was there to know?

"Someone tell me what the _hell_ is going on! What does my father have to do with this, and where's everyone else? What do you know about my dream? Did you _drug_ me?"

"Jake, Carlisle would never do anything like that! Let's go home. I'll drive you straight to La Push."

I wanted to yell some more, demand some answers, but I knew it wouldn't do any good. From what I could tell, I was fine, and Bella appeared to be unharmed. Besides, the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach screamed for me to leave this house. Whatever it was, there would be plenty of time to find out later. It's not like _this_ family would be hard to find, and luckily I was tight with the Chief of Police.

"All right, let's leave."

Bella said her goodbyes, I nodded, and then we left.

In the truck I watched Bella intently while she drove. She made too much effort to make small talk, and she wasn't good at it—at all. She was babbling about some food she liked to cook when I noticed something odd.

"Hey, weren't you wearing something else?"

"Oh…uh, no. I'm sure all dresses look the same to you."

"No, all dresses do _not_ look the same to me. I'm a guy, but I have two older sisters. The one you have on is pink. You don't strike me as a pink type of chick."

"I…like pink, a little. This was what I was wearing. Maybe you bumped your head?"

Was she asking _me_ if I had bumped my head? Wasn't _I_ the one with the memory lapse?

"Trust me when I tell you I would've remembered _this_ dress."

"You're imagining things."

"No, I'm not. First, the other one fit you properly; this one's a little loose on you."

"I'm kind of skinny, and I don't like tight-fitting clothes."

She wasn't going to admit anything. There _was_ more evidence I could point out, but that would embarrass both of us. What the hell… The night was already freakish anyway. I made sure I was looking directly at her face. In fact, I zoned in on the top of her head, just for insurance.

"You don't like tight-fitting clothes, but you like necklines so low the little bow on your bra is showing?" Yep, her face was turning bright red, just as I knew mine was.

"This is none of your business!" Great, now she was angry with me.

"Actually, I have a feeling it _is_ my business. What are you and the Cullens hiding from me? What really happened?"

"What do you _think_ happened?"

"You…_know_ things, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I feel like I've been violated, or threatened in some way. There's something to be concerned about, isn't there? You're exposing me to danger without telling me about it, aren't you?" I had no idea if any of this was true, but it was what I felt. If there was any truth to it, and she _was_ like Charlie, then right about now she would be feeling guilty. Bella bit her lower lip. Yep, just like Charlie.

"Jake, it's…it's not my secret to tell. And…I don't know everything."

"Why don't you tell me what you _do_ know?"

She took a deep breath and bit her lip again. "The Cullens…they aren't _normal_."

"I could have told you _that_."

"And…I think maybe you're not either…"

"Huh?" Was that an insult? "In what way? How's this related to the Cullens, and what happened to me tonight?"

"Carlisle wouldn't tell me."

"He knows something about _me_? Did he _examine_ me or something?" Didn't the guy need my permission first? Weren't there doctor/patient rules? "Did he keep this from you because of some doctor/patient confidentiality thing?"

"No…I mean, I don't know for sure. He said it wasn't his secret to share."

"What's with all these 'secrets'?"

"I can't…" Again, the uneasiness in the pit of my stomach returned. I looked at Bella. Her hands gripped the steering wheel, and the loose sleeves of her dress swished around. At one point, a sleeve slid up her arm to her elbow. She quickly reached over with her other hand and pulled it down. The reaction was too quick.

Normally, I'm a pretty nice guy, with good manners, but something was really wrong. I was paranoid, like the guys in those Alfred Hitchcock movies I used to watch with my sisters. It was because of this that I grabbed Bella's arm and pulled the sleeve up as far as it would go. Her upper arm was wrapped in white gauze bandaging.

My mind flooded with the dream again, only this time it was clearer. This time I _knew_ it _wasn't_ a dream.

"One of them came after you… I remember." Exactly _what_ was I remembering?

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. Why would one of Edward's brothers attack you? And why did they all have to leave? I…I saved you, sort of, didn't I?" She remained silent. "If I helped you in _any_ way, you owe me an explanation at the very least!"

"Yes, Jasper came after me, but he didn't mean to. It's just that he's the newest, and it's so hard for him."

"_What's_ so hard for him?"

"N—nothing," Bella stammered.

Words people had said to me echoed in my ear.

_The boy is on the verge of transforming!_

_But Bella, she's in danger!_

_More from Edward and Jasper than the boy!_

"Someone talked about a boy transforming… I was the boy, wasn't I!" I shouted.

"I…I don't know…"

_Carlisle, I'm sorry… I think I can control myself now._

_No, you can't! This is the first time you've smelled her blood like this, spilled, and outside her body. Already your eyes show thirst, and venom has welled in your mouth._

"Why were Edward and Jasper a danger to you? What's up with the smell of your blood, and who the hell had _venom_ in his mouth?"

"You're…I…it was a dream…that's right, a dream."

"Stop! Pull over, now!" I wasn't feeling…_right_, but the sensation wasn't new. Somehow, it was familiar. The cab of the truck felt cool, downright cold, but I wasn't. In fact, sweat beaded on my forehead, and I felt my shirt dampen. There was something else happening to my shirt. It felt tight. Wasn't this new? Maybe Bella had shrunk it in the wash?

I felt the car come to a stop, and I assumed she had pulled over onto the shoulder. I couldn't be sure because my hands were on the dash, and I was leaned forward with my head down.

"Jake, what's wrong? Are you going to throw up?"

My heart was racing, and my breathing had become labored. I held up one hand, with my index finger lifted. I needed a minute. Bella waited patiently without saying a word. I inhaled deeply, feeling my shirt tighten around my chest. The sound of fabric tearing filled the silence.

"Jacob? Y—you're…_growing_, I think."

How could I be growing before her eyes? What was I, the Incredible Hulk? Again, I heard voices in my head.

"_There, it's happening again!"_

"_Is he in a car?"_

"_Maybe… Shit! There's someone in there with him!"_

"_Where are they?"_

"_I have no fucking idea! I can barely see _him_, never mind the scenery!"_

It was making me dizzy. Was I going crazy? Was this what it felt like when you lost your mind?

"Bella, can you take me home, fast?"

"Okay." I heard the roar of the engine as it started up, reminding me of which car we were in.

"I really mean it. Gun it! I promise I'll fix anything that happens to the truck, okay?"

"Got it."

"And can you open the window on your side?" I opened the window on my side and stuck my head out to breathe in the fresh air. It was much better. The cologne, perfume…whatever it was those Cullens used had filled the cab of the truck. Maybe that's why I felt so dizzy. It still didn't explain the voices in my head, though.

A burning smell was coming from the engine. Repairs were definitely going to eat up an afternoon. The damn truck never could do much more than fifty-five… To give her credit, Bella _did_ get us to La Push in record time. At least, it was record time for the red heap of metal we were in.

I gave her simple directions to my place as I rested my head back on the seat. I tried to compose myself, thinking about what I would say to my dad. We'd be home shortly, and I didn't want to alarm him, but the doctor made it sound like my dad had all the answers. Maybe I was the one who should be alarmed…

"Jake?"

"Mmmhmmm?" My eyes were closed. I wanted to rewind through part of this day and go back to the hospital—to a time when I could turn down the invitation.

"Something's up at your place."

"What are you talking about?" I sat up and opened my eyes.

The headlights on the truck beamed ahead, illuminating four figures in my front yard. It was clear they were waiting for me. My dad was in his wheelchair, with a worried look on his face. That alone wouldn't have been too out of the ordinary, but it was the others that caught my attention. Standing around him, shirtless, with their arms crossed in front of them, were Sam Uley and his gang, Paul and Jared. What were they doing at my house, and why didn't they have any clothes on?

* * *

_As always, reviews are much appreciated! I am expecting the next update to post on Sunday!_

_***New note added June 22nd. Okay, the next update may be a wee late…not a lot though. If not on Sunday evening, then Monday for sure._

_ALSO: Have you guys checked out JBNP's Anonymous One Shot contest? I've entered it! Do you think you can guess which entry is mine? Here's the link to read the entries:_

_jacobblack-n-pack. ning[dotcom]/group/jbnp-3rd-anniversary-anon-one-shot-contest/forum_


	3. Must Be Just a Phase

_Thank you so much, **JaspersDestiny**! Everyone who was waiting for this update should thank her! I had a bit of a slump and couldn't finish this chapter until recently. It was sent to her in the wee hours of the morning on Monday. By Monday evening she had already beta'ed it, twice! That's right, she sent it to me, I made some changes, sent it back to her, and it was back in my hot little hands before prime time television began! Did I mention she has a full time job as well?_

_Please accept my apologies, dear readers, for posting this update a day late. It's not usual for me to miss an update deadline, and I'm quite embarrassed about having done so this time._

_I hope all of you will find this was worth the wait!_

* * *

**Must Be Just a Phase**

"Thank you for bringing Jacob home, Bella. I'm sure Charlie's waiting up for you, so you better get going before it gets too late."

Why was Dad trying to get rid of her? Sure, it was late, and it was a school night, but she was his best friend's daughter and had driven me home. Wouldn't that warrant a little hospitality?

"I guess it _is_ late," Bella answered. "Charlie knows I'm dropping Jake off." She stared at Sam, Jared, and Paul, all of whom looked downright menacing. If Billy's hint didn't shoo her away, those three could definitely scare her all the way back to Phoenix!

"What's going on, Dad, and how come Sam's here?" I asked.

"We had tribe business to discuss," he replied. Since when were Sam, Jared, and Paul part of tribe discussions? Shouldn't Harry or Old Quil be here instead? "Say hi to Charlie for me, Bella." He nodded to her. Was I imagining this, or was he being downright rude?

"Dad, something happened at the party, and if Bella's not in a rush, she should stay because I don't remember much of it."

All four of them—Dad, Sam, and Sam's "cult"—exchanged looks with each other before turning their eyes on Bella. They were scowling at her! That's when I recalled the message Dad had asked me to relay to Bella, the one he bribed me to send in exchange for the master cylinder we had yet to find. "We'll be watching." That's what they were doing now: watching.

"I wish you hadn't gone, Jacob," Dad said to me, but he was looking only at Bella.

"Why? Their parents were home, and everything!" I was sure he wouldn't start in with the superstitions in front of her. She was an outsider and wasn't supposed to know about our legends.

"You said something happened to you there. What was it?" I didn't like the way Sam was being brusque with me. It sounded more like a command than a question. He was older, but this was _my_ house, and _my_ dad was the tribal leader, not his.

"Look, Jake, I'm going to head home, okay? Thanks for coming tonight." Bella took a step back, lifting her hand in a lackluster wave.

"No, stop!" I reached out and grabbed her hand. My anxiety seemed to subside a bit when I touched her. "I…I don't know everything that happened. You have to help me explain it. Remember, the doctor told me to tell my dad." The feel of her cool skin against mine made it easier to bear the hostile reception I'd been greeted with in my own home.

"There's nothing to tell, Jacob. I fell down and got a cut, and you got tired and fell asleep." She pulled her hand out of mine and shoved it into her pocket.

"You lost consciousness?" Sam asked.

"The girl, Sam! She said she got a cut—blood was spilled!" Paul snatched Bella's arm, making her wince. I wanted to deck him, but Sam's hand stopped my advance. "Where? Show me where!"

"Let go of her!" I shouted, trying to pry his fingers off her arm. His grip was strong. Nothing I did would make it loosen, not even when I dug my fingernails into his flesh.

"Paul, you're getting the kid, and yourself, upset." Jared came between us and pushed me down effortlessly, then pulled Paul away from Bella.

"_Her blood was spilled_!" Paul struggled with Jared, snarling at Bella. "Listen, leech lover, if you want to be the Cullens' bloody cocktail that's your business, but keep _our_ people away from them, you hear!" What was Paul talking about?

That's when words from earlier tonight rang in my thoughts again, reminding me of another person who had talked about blood.

_This is the first time you've smelled her blood like this, spilled…_

Paul had called Bella a "leech lover". A leech was something that sucked blood. Bella loved Charlie, and he was anything but a leech. Her boyfriend? He certainly "leeched" money off his parents, but it didn't sound like Paul was talking about money.

What had Bella said to me in the truck?

_Yes, Jasper came after me…_

Why had he come after her? What had she done?

_He's the newest, and it's so hard for him…_

He was the newest at _what_?

Why did Paul freak out about Bella's injury? Blood…it was the blood he was interested in, not the cut.

_Her blood was spilled!_

The doctor had used those same words.

_Her blood…spilled_

Words from very different people, yet they were the same.

_Leech lover…_

_Bloody cocktail…_

_Blood was spilled…_

_Tribe business…_

Tribe business… What did tribe business have to do with leeches or blood? Were they talking about the legends? It was one thing for Dad and Old Quil to hang onto prejudices based on those stories, but Paul and Jared? They were goofy high school kids, or at least they _used_ to be before they started hanging out with Sam.

Bella had asked me about those legends last winter. Why had she been interested in our tribal legends? But she hadn't been, not entirely; she had asked about the _Cullens_.

_The cold ones…_

_Blood drinkers…_

_Descended from wolves…_

_Protectors…_

_Spirit warriors…_

That's when I tasted bile. I ran to some bushes, bent over, and lost everything in my stomach.

I saw stars as I coughed, trying to get rid of the foul taste in my mouth. The problem was that the taste wasn't from the bile and remnants of my last meal. This foulness came from a reality I wasn't prepared to face.

"Jacob!" I heard movement behind me. It was my father wheeling his way over to where I was. "Are you okay, son? Let Sam take a look at you."

What the hell? It was bad enough everyone thought Sam was so great even after dumping his college scholarship, but was he now considered a freaking medicine man, too?

"What about _her_? She might have been bitten!" Paul stood in front of Bella, preventing her from getting past him.

"Jacob, do you have any wounds?" Sam reached over to inspect my arm, but I pulled it away.

"What happened?" Jared asked, as though it were his right to know.

They wanted answers from me, but it seemed they knew more than I did, and somehow Bella was in on it. I was alone in the darkness of my ignorance.

"Edward's brother tried to attack her," I replied, pointing at Bella.

"You're making it sound like…like he meant it!" What was she saying? Did anyone ever attack _without_ meaning to?

"Sure _looked_ like he meant it to me." It didn't feel like she was on my side. The comfort I'd found when we were holding hands vanished when the Cullens were mentioned.

"What do you mean he 'tried' to attack her? Who stopped him, _you_?" Paul sneered and looked me up and down. Ass. He wasn't _that_ much bigger than me.

"There's a perfectly good explanation for this!" Bella insisted.

"Yeah, Lahote, I stopped him!" I snapped at Paul, ignoring Bella.

"It _was_ him we heard," Jared said.

"But he still has his shoes and clothes on." What made them think I _wouldn't_ have my shoes and clothes on?

"It was pretty faint… Maybe he didn't quite phase?"

Phase? I had heard someone else say that earlier tonight.

_It was too early for the first phase…_

What phase? What was everyone talking about? Were they waiting for me to start shaving? And what made it too early?

_"Yes, but he's only fifteen. You saw him when he arrived—he was thin, with a soft, boyish face._

I looked at the three guys in my yard. Sam was a few years older than me, but Paul and Jared were both sixteen. I was only a few months younger than them, but their faces looked ten years older. I still looked like a kid. Paul and Jared looked like men, and it wasn't just because of their size. Their features were sharp, sort of severe, and almost weathered. No one would guess they were still in high school. Was I destined to become like them?

_He may have transformed regardless. He is the direct descendent of Ephraim, is he not?_

But neither of them were direct descendants of Ephraim…at least not that anyone knew about.

"Jake," Sam said in a calm voice, "tell us what happened."

"After _she_ leaves," Paul added.

"Jacob barely remembers! If you want to know what happened, you should ask _me_."

"We don't trust you. Why do they keep you around anyway?"

"Bella, it's time you left," Dad said sternly.

Everyone knew but me. Or was I really in the dark? The pieces seemed to fit, but the picture being formed was so fantastical that I questioned if I had put them together properly.

"Can everyone please stop talking!" I shouted. I spat into the bushes again and then turned around. "Why are you so determined to make Bella leave?" Whether or not she was on my side, something told me she had a part of the story they didn't. She had also been a witness to it all. If someone else was here to corroborate, I might just have a chance at keeping my sanity. Bella wasn't Quileute, so she hadn't grown up with the legends. If she believed, then it had to be true. "Don't you want to know _exactly_ what happened? She's right, I don't remember all of it." I turned to Bella. "And how do _you_ know what they're talking about?"

"Jacob, let's get in the house." My dad gestured for me to follow him. "We can talk inside. Goodbye, Isabella."

"The sheriff's kid has to leave, but not this gang of half-naked hoodlums?"

"Jacob, careful what you say. Sam Uley has done a lot for this tribe. He's made sacrifices you know nothing about!"

"Billy, it's okay." Sam put a hand on my father's shoulder, calming him down. "Jacob," he said to me, "I understand this seems strange, but the reason Bella can't stay is because what we have to tell you affects a lot of people. It wouldn't be fair to share that with Bella, now would it?"

"I guess…"

"And, Bella, you understand it would be wrong to share secrets that aren't yours to know?" The tone of his voice and the look he gave her made it clear there was more to what he was saying. It sounded like _she_ had secrets she needed to keep hidden as well.

"Yes." She made no argument. In fact, she didn't say anything else, not even goodbye. Bella just got into her truck and drove away.

"Jacob, in the house." Dad's stern command had me moving involuntarily toward the house.

Inside was worse than it had been outside. I was seated on the couch, and Dad was in his wheelchair across from me. Sam stood behind him, with Paul and Jared on either side. I almost expected someone to whip out a spotlight and aim it right at me.

"When you called me from the hospital, you told me you'd be coming home after Charlie was discharged."

"I didn't think I'd be out late, and didn't Charlie call you after I left the hospital?"

"He did, but he didn't tell me you were going to the Cullens."

"I didn't realize their house was off limits!"

"You know we don't like the Cullens."

"And I have no idea why!" Sure, the old council members refused to go to the hospital now that Dr. Cullen worked there, but had they decided the whole damn family had cooties too?

"Jacob, how did you end up falling asleep?" Sam asked.

"I don't remember. That's why I wanted Bella to stay."

"Did they give you anything?" Sam ignored my comment about Bella.

"What do you mean? It was a party—of course they gave me stuff! We had dinner, food, cake, soda…you know, the type of stuff people _have_ at parties."

"They _ate_?" Jared looked shocked at the prospect.

"Not a lot…actually, it was kind of weird. Seemed like they mostly played with their food."

"Yeah, I bet they did." Paul snickered.

"I don't think they drugged me or anything. Everyone's food, including Bella's, was served from the same serving dish."

"What happened just before Edward's brother attacked Bella?"

"_Tried_ to attack her, you mean?" Why was I defending _him_?

"Yes, _tried_ to attack her." Sam appeared to be making an effort to be nice now.

"It's not completely clear in my mind."

"Tell us what you remember."

"I left for a minute to use the bathroom, and when I got back, Bella was about to open her presents. One was an envelope, and she cut her finger opening it. It was a nasty paper cut. Anyhow, before anything happened, I heard one of the other girls scream something. I think she said, 'No!' It was strange because I heard the dude move _after_ the girl shouted."

"You heard him move _how_? He stomped?" Did Paul think I was deaf? And who the hell stomped their feet to attack someone?

"No, nothing that obvious, more like a foot pressing into the carpet fibers. It was the type of thing you wouldn't think you _could_ hear."

"Did anything _happen_ to you?" At first I thought Sam was concerned I had gotten hurt, but I realized that wasn't what he meant.

"Happen? I guess. I reacted quickly without thinking and did things without knowing why I was doing them."

"What kinds of _things_?"

"For one, I set some newspapers on fire. Then I saw Bella's boyfriend coming to help, but for some reason he looked weird to me."

"Weird how?"

"He had the same look on his face that his brother did."

"What did you do?"

"I went after him instead."

"How?" What was it about Sam that made me feel like I had to answer everything he asked?

"I jumped up, like _really_ high up, and we bumped into each other. It felt like I was hitting a brick wall, not some guy. I think I blacked out for a bit after we hit each other."

"Anything else?"

"I…I heard people talking."

"Do you remember what was said?"

"The doctor told everyone to leave, and Bella asked about me. The crazy blond guy who tried to attack Bella had to be forced out of the house." I thought about the other part, the part I was afraid to disclose, sure they would think I was crazy. But, there was comfort in being able to share what I had experienced. "There were also…_other_ voices."

"What other voices?"

"It wasn't from anyone in the house. In fact, it didn't sound like I was hearing with my ears…"

"Continue, Jacob. It's okay, no one's going to think you're crazy, I promise."

"It…it sounded like they were in my head."

"Were the voices familiar?" He didn't care that I was exhibiting symptoms of schizophrenia! In fact, Jared and Paul didn't flinch either. It was like hearing voices in your head was normal for them.

"Sort of, but I wasn't sure whose they were, at least not at the time…"

"And now?" asked Sam. I stared at him, afraid to answer. "I told you, Jacob, you can trust us. Nothing you say will be go beyond these walls, ever, no matter what."

"I'm pretty sure one of the voices was yours."

"Jacob, do you have any…any theories about the Cullens, anything at all, no matter how ridiculous you think they are?" That was it? Sam had nothing to add about the identity of the voice in my head? Anyone else would have been freaked out. He didn't even ask _what_ the voices said to me!

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Why weren't they telling me what they knew? Why weren't they confirming what I suspected, or providing me with an alternative explanation for it all?

"Why do you think Edward's brother tried to attack Bella when her finger started to bleed?" Again, as at the Cullen house, the focus was on the blood. It didn't make sense. The last person anyone would feel compelled to attack would be someone who was bleeding. But that was a rule in the rational world, one where you didn't hear voices in your head, people weren't able to fly across rooms, and people's hands didn't feel like popsicles.

"I'm…I'm not sure."

"You don't have to be sure." I got the feeling they wanted me to figure this out on my own. It seemed they wanted me to know, but something was stopping them from telling me outright.

"The only thing that came to mind was a stupid story, not anything logical."

Everyone looked relieved by my reply. There was some nodding and my dad actually smiled. It was like I had brought home a report card with straight A's.

"We'd like to know, son. Like Sam said, nothing will go beyond these walls."

"Well, you know the legend about the…the cold ones." My dad and Sam exchanged looks. "Can someone tell me what's going on?" I turned to Paul. "Why aren't you laughing at me, or cracking some dumb joke?" He didn't look the least bit amused. In fact, he looked sorry for me. It made me angry enough that I did something I normally wouldn't do, especially to Paul Lahote; I shoved him—hard—with both my hands. He didn't budge. "Say something, Lahote!" I went to take a swing at him, but he caught my fist.

"Jacob, calm down." His hand was hot, but I ignored it. I stared into his eyes, at the pity he had for me, and became consumed with hate. Who was _he_ to feel sorry for _me_? I pushed his hand away forcefully and glared at him.

"Don't touch me, and don't tell me to calm down! You don't know me, none of you do! Get out, all of you!" I pushed Paul, and he took a step toward Jared. I turned and growled at Sam. What had come over me? I was acting unreasonably, and I couldn't stop myself.

"Jacob, we're going to leave, but you have to come with us."

"_These_ two monkeys might be your puppets, Sam, but _I'm_ not! Don't tell me what to do, ever!"

"Sam, don't worry about me. Jake's not going to hurt his own father."

What was Dad talking about? Why would anyone think I'd hurt him?

"Billy, maybe _you_ should go outside," Jared suggested.

"Leave my dad out of it!"

"Jacob, there are things you don't know. Please, son, listen to Sam." He spoke quietly and calmly, enunciating each word carefully. It was out of place next to my wild, uncontrollable anger.

"I always knew it was those fucking leeches!" Paul yelled. "Look what one evening locked up with them did to him!"

"I think the danger accelerated it more than the exposure did," Sam replied to Paul.

My clothes were holding me prisoner, constricting the flow of air into my lungs.

"Shit, it's happening!" What was Jared looking at?

"Billy, get out!" Sam shouted.

"He's blocking the doorway, Sam!" Was that Paul's voice? I couldn't tell the difference anymore.

"Crap!"

Big arms grabbed hold of me, and we burst out of the doorway, falling to the ground outside.

"Jared, give me a hand! We have to get him into the woods before someone sees." Whoever was shouting was holding me down.

The ground beneath me passed in a blur as I flew through my yard toward the trees. How were they able to run while carrying me, as though I were weightless? How fast were we going?

My toes felt the cold air as my shoes blew away. What had happened to my shoes that only a breeze could tear them to pieces?

"We're almost there!"

"Shit, Sam, he's going to gouge us bad if we don't phase soon!"

"He's going! All his clothes are already torn!"

"We're almost there, just five more seconds."

Rage burned me from the inside out. Branches and thorns tore into my flesh, and my mind filled with thoughts of others. I heard voices of mothers who were not mine, a girl with a scarred face I knew but whose name I could not remember, tears running down Leah Clearwater's cheeks, and my father's comforting voice reciting the legends of our tribe. Warm blood ran out of my wounds, sweat streamed down my face, and I dug my fingers into the flesh of the hands that bound me. Warm blood stained me, matting my fur to my skin. Fur? Why do I have fur?

* * *

_Many thanks to everyone who have been following my story and special thanks for those who have left reviews! If you haven't yet, it's never too late. Reviews are a cherished thing among writers who receive little rewards for their efforts._


	4. A Legacy, Not a Phase

_Thank you, **JaspersDestiny**, for being my beta. I'm really going to miss you while you're away, and even though I don't want you to leave, I hope you have a nice time!_

* * *

**A Legacy, Not a Phase**

I wasn't me.

My heart was beating frantically, and my lungs were working harder than I thought possible. Rain and wind pelted my body as the thudding of many feet hitting the soft earth pounded in my ears.

Tonight was supposed to be a cold night, but I couldn't tell. My skin was protected from the chill by a layer of thick fur covering me.

_Why the hell do I have fur?_ I thought, crazed.

_Jake, stop running!_ It was one of the voices again, but this time it was directly addressing me, using my name. Of course it knew my name! It was a creation of my own damn sub-conscious!

_Sam, you okay?_

Why was my subconscious addressing Sam, too?

_Just some cuts, nothing serious. Bleeding's already stopped._

That actually _was_ Sam's voice. Oh, of course, one of the voices had sounded like him before, too.

_I can't see! _my mind screamed in panic. The sharp end of a broken branch tore into my flesh.

_It's the goddamn hair! Stop running already!_

_What hair? My hair?_

_You fucking fairy, you just had to have long fucking hair! _

The voices _had_ to be real; my sub-conscious wouldn't call me a fucking fairy!

_Shut it, Lahote!_

_Where are you? _Maybe if I tried really hard, whoever was in my head would hear me, too.

_Jake, you have to stop running._ It worked!_ Concentrate on what I'm thinking._

As if I had a choice… It's not like the voices were a light switch. If they were, I'd have shut that one off hours ago.

_Who is this…Sam?_

_Yes, now stop running before you hurt yourself even more!_

_Jesus! Are you sure this fucking dumb ass is supposed to be our leader?_

_I said shut it!_

Who was Paul talking to? Leader? Wasn't Sam the leader of their cult?

I was still moving, faster than if I had been in a car. For some reason, the desire to stop wasn't coming to me naturally. My body was fighting my brain, wanting to keep going. If only I could see, then perhaps I could convince my body this danger wasn't something I could run from.

Again I ordered my legs to stop moving, and this time they did. In the still forest, everything came alive to my senses. I could smell dewdrops forming on the leaves, rotting pine needles beneath my feet, and bird droppings in the branches above. How could that be? People weren't supposed to be able to smell things like that.

_The Quileutes…we're supposed to have descended from wolves._

Long, wiry, red-brown hair was in my face. That was what was rendering me nearly blind. I reached up to move it out of my eyes, but no matter how hard I tried my fingers were unable to grip anything, making the hair merely flop back into my face. I lowered my head and moved it side to side on the ground. My face became damp from the mud, and when I pushed the hair aside, it stuck to the sides of my face, which was now caked in mud.

No longer hindered, I took in my surroundings. It was late, possibly after midnight. How long had I been running? The air was heavy and moist. The scurrying feet of mice and the flapping wings of bats could be heard in the stillness. Large clouds formed with every exhalation of my lungs, telling me it was cold, but I felt comfortable, almost warm.

After assessing there was no danger in the vicinity, I looked down, wondering what clothes were keeping me warm. I couldn't possibly have fur; it must be a coat with fur lining.

Everything was wrong. Two giant paws rested where my feet should have been. I looked behind me and saw two more paws behind them, and a bushy tail.

"Ar-oooo!" What the hell was that? That was supposed to be a curse word. Why couldn't I curse? I tried again. "Ar-oooo!" I had lost the ability to speak.

_You can speak, only not right now._

The voices were back.

_We never left. We're in your fucking head, the same way you're in ours!_

_Come on, Paul, give the guy a break. It's not like you were any better._

_Fuck you, Cameron!_

I was in their heads?

My thoughts focused on them, searching for clues to what had happened. It was more than simply the voices. I could see, hear, and smell everything they could. I was sure the three of them were in the forest a few feet from me. At least, it seemed they were a few feet away, except what they saw in front of them wasn't a fifteen-year-old boy; it was a gigantic wolf.

_Jake, it's okay. Just don't run again._

_We're tired, man. If you were going to be a damn runner, couldn't you at least be slow? _At least Jared wasn't yelling at me.

_What…what's happening?_

_You're one of us now._

_I don't want to be in your stupid cult!_

_It's not a fucking cult!_

_I'm taking care of this, Paul. We are the tribe's protectors, Jake, like in the legends of our people._

_What are you talking about?_

_The fucking wolves, stupid! We're fucking wolves!_

_Since when? I just saw you guys at my house…_

_We can change back, idiot!_

_Okay, that's it! Paul, I command you to shut the fuck up until the sun rises!_

What was that?

As if things weren't strange enough, I suddenly felt…something. There was a force, a heavy burden in the space our minds shared. It landed on Paul. He struggled futilely to free himself of it, resulting in becoming only more tightly bound, nearly suffocating him.

_That's Sam's "hand of God" act._

The large black wolf growled at the brown one.

_Is Paul all right?_ I asked, to divert their attention. I was afraid they would fight.

_He's fine. Sam's our Alpha, and when he gives an order we have no choice but to obey._

I didn't like the sound of that.

_You don't need to worry about that, Jake—there's plenty of time for explanations. The priority right now is to phase back._

_Phase back?_

_Phase—you know, change…like, walk on two legs?_

_I can go back to being human?_

_That would be the point._

_Watch it, Jared, or you're next._

_Look, Jake, _Jared said more sympathetically,_ I know everything seems fucked up right now, but it's not so bad. As long as you keep your cool, you can change back and forth whenever you want. Just concentrate on what Sam's thinking. He helped me, too._

I must still be in shock. It was the only explanation I could come up with. No one in his right mind could calmly participate in a telepathic conversation after having turned into a giant wolf. Logically, I should have lost my grip on reality, but I hadn't. The only thing that felt lost to me was my humanity.

I wanted was my old life back. I didn't want this new one where my best friends were now Sam, Paul, and Jared. My life was supposed to take a different turn. What had happened to the search for the Rabbit's master cylinder and the crush over Bella Swan? How had Embry and Quil, my best friends since kindergarten, become so distanced that it now felt like they existed in a fairy tale?

Being back in my human form wasn't as comforting as I had hoped. For one, I was naked, and so was everyone else. Second, I was covered in mud, leaves, and who knew what else. My hair was a tangled mess, matted to my head. Lastly, I was so hungry that the bark on nearby trees began to appear appetizing. To be honest, I couldn't imagine life could get any worse.

I looked up and took a good look at Sam and the others. They were all messed up, too, covered in dirt and leaves like me. The thing that stood out most was that all of us seemed comfortable with the temperature, even in our naked state. In reality, we should have been close to suffering from hypothermia right now. This was impossible! We were soaking wet, and it was probably only a few degrees above freezing.

"How come we're not cold?" I asked.

"Werewolf thing."

"We're werewolves? But it's not a full moon, and I don't remember any of you biting me."

"This isn't Hollywood, dude." Sam shot Jared a look. "We're like spirit warriors. Basically, we can shift back and forth between being a wolf and human whenever we want. And we have superpowers."

"What do you mean?"

"First, tell me how you phased back so quickly! Shit, it wasn't even long enough for Sam to give you the whole spiel, was it?"

"I don't know… It wasn't like this for all of you?"

"I had a feeling things would be different for you," Sam said.

"Why?" As if my life hadn't already gone down the shitter, now I was the _special_ turd in the porcelain bowl.

"You're the direct descendent of Ephraim Black, our last chief and Alpha wolf."

"So?"

"You're _our_ Alpha wolf."

"What do you mean?"

"Our leader, like Paul said."

"How the hell am I the leader when I'm the youngest and don't even know what my superpowers are!"

"We can talk about this later. How about we go back to your place for now, get our clothes, and get something to eat?"

"Sure, sure." It bothered me that my answer had slipped out casually, as though he were asking me if I liked apples.

"Hey, Sam, I'm going to run ahead. I have an early morning tomorrow." Sam nodded to Jared, who was about to leave, but Paul stopped him. He was making hand signals, like he wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Fine, you can talk now, but keep it nice!"

Wow, the order even worked when he _wasn't_ a wolf?

"Finally! I'm taking off, too."

"Go, both of you. Everything's under control now."

Jared and Paul left, leaving me alone with Sam. Before tonight, Sam was someone I knew but had never felt comfortable with. He was older than me, and we had seemingly little in common. Of course, none of that mattered now.

We made our way home at a leisurely pace, with Sam filling me in on some of the finer details of being a wolf. Normally, walking naked through the forest with another guy would have creeped me out, but there was nothing normal about tonight.

"I guess we can't magically retain our street clothes like Wonder Woman or anything, huh?"

Sam chuckled. "No, unfortunately not. Usually we tie a pair of cut-offs with a string around our ankle, but we didn't have time for that tonight."

"Guess that's why you guys are always half naked."

"Yeah."

"Sam, what's with the Cullens?"

"You haven't figured it out after all this?"

It didn't matter that I already knew; I needed to hear someone else say it first. Even after turning into a giant wolf, the thought of vampires existing still seemed impossible.

"Probably…" I started.

"It was too eerie to say out loud for me, too," Sam said, picking up on my cue. "They're vampires, Jake—cold ones, blood drinkers, whatever you want to call them. That's why they attacked Bella when she cut herself."

"And we're supposed to kill them?" Strangely, I wasn't afraid, even though I knew I should be.

"Don't you remember the rest of the story? Our people made a treaty with them."

"But Bella…"

"She knows what they are."

"She can't know _everything_. I mean, sure, she suspects _something_, but…"

"You don't remember how she acted, and what she said when she was at your place earlier? She _knows_, Jake."

Bella knew everything and still she chose to be with _them_? How could that be possible? Deer don't befriend wolves. Bad analogy, I know, but then again, if she accepted them then she'd have to accept me, too. Sure, I may be a monster, but at least she wasn't a potential food source to me.

"Bet she won't be so friendly with them after what happened at her party…" My words trailed off and my voice became quiet as I recalled what she had said to me.

_He didn't mean to… He's the newest, and it's so hard for him._

She had defended him.

"I have to go, Sam."

Sam grabbed me by the arm. "Where are you going?"

"To see Bella. She has to know everything about the Cullens, if she doesn't already. It's not fair to keep her in the dark about this."

"No, Jacob, you can't!"

"I can't protect her from vampires? What's the point of being a protector if I can't protect her?"

"She can have our protection when she's willing to accept it, but for now she has chosen to be with _them_."

"Maybe because they've lied to her! You don't know what they've told her!"

"Regardless, you can't, because that would require you to also tell her about us."

"And why can't I tell her about me? It's still my life!"

"This is not just your secret, Jacob."

"She's probably figured it out by now anyway. Bella already knew vampires existed, and she's dating one! What the hell difference would it make if she knew about spirit wolves, or whatever the hell we are?"

"Because that is _our_ secret, not theirs. We exist because _they_ do, to protect humanity. They already know enough about us."

Sam had been pretty proud and pro-tribe tonight, but his last remark sounded resentful.

"The doctor knows about us, and some of the others too."

"Yes, but Bella doesn't, and they cannot tell her without jeopardizing the treaty. It's the least they can do, after all. This _is_ their fault."

"No kidding, like any human would ever flinch at a paper cut."

"I don't mean that. I'm talking about _us_, Jacob, phasing into wolves. It happened because they've moved here. You joined our pack before your time because you were in that house with the whole bunch of them for hours, and then the one tried to attack a human."

"But you, and the other guys, you're never around them…"

"Jacob, they're vampires. They don't have to be standing right next to us to be a threat." His tone of voice pissed me off. How the hell could he expect anything to be self-explanatory! We were talking about rules that governed vampires and werewolves!

"If that's the case, how come everyone didn't change at once?"

"There's a window of opportunity when the change generally occurs, and the others were a little young still."

"I'm the same age as Paul and Jared."

"Yes, but everyone matures at a different rate. It's unclear if the right time for the changes to begin is triggered by physical, emotional, or social maturity. Maybe it's some combination of all of them."

"There's no fucking way Paul is more emotionally mature!"

"It's not an exact science."

"Sounds like it's not science at all, more like a damn fairytale," I grumbled, and then another thought occurred to me. "Why didn't you guys run them out of town when they first arrived?"

"We didn't know it would cause all this."

"What about the legends? Didn't my dad, or old Quil know the story?"

"We learned through experience—_my_ experience."

"Then how do you know it's them?" I asked. More memories of the party came back to me, and I remembered the doctor's words.

_Our presence has triggered the change._

"My symptoms began about a year after they moved into town. I phased when I was sixteen, just like Paul and Jared. At first, we didn't realize what triggered it. It's been three generations since the last pack."

"We?"

"Your dad, Old Quil, Harry Clearwater, basically the tribal council."

"They knew about this the whole time?"

"Yeah. Old Quil had even seen his father shift."

"Why didn't they tell us?"

"It hadn't happened in ages. Your grandfather didn't shift, and not your dad either. Everyone thought it had gone away. No one suspected the catalyst was the Cullens."

"Are you sure? I mean, how do you know you're not wrong?"

"I ran them out of town—as you put it—this past winter, when Jared first showed the signs, and they left, but it didn't stop him from changing. Jared phased a couple weeks after they left. We thought maybe they didn't leave soon enough, but then a month later Paul phased, too, and he only showed symptoms for short while—a lot shorter than Jared had. The Cullens came back to town the day after Paul's first phase. They claimed since two had phased while they were on the other side of the country, it was 'apparent' they weren't the cause."

"You didn't believe them?"

"No, and now with you…well, do _you_ believe them?"

_This is too much of a coincidence…_

"No. The doctor thinks they're the cause, too, because of me."

"He said this?"

"Yeah."

"Come on, we've got something to do."

"Now? It must be three in the morning!"

"Don't worry, we won't be waking anyone up."

"What about clothes?"

"I'll give you some of mine."

Who the hell would be awake at three in the morning on a Thursday, I thought, as we headed to Sam's to get his truck, but it wasn't long before I figured it out. The driveway was a dead giveaway.

* * *

_Thanks everyone for giving this new story such a warm reception with your story alerts, favorites, and reviews! I have to say, the reviews really brighten up my day, and I appreciate every single one that I've gotten!_

_I'd also like to let everyone know about a couple of contests going on right now. There's one called No Boundaries where the contest admins are bridging the divide between wolf fans and vamp fans by having a Leah/Vamp One Shot contest. You can check it out at: _

_noboundariesaffair. blogspot. ca_

_Also, I'm hosting another contest over at The Air, the Sun on LiveJournal, but this time, Willow2883 will be co-hosting with me! This one is for a one shot written to the quote: Does my being half naked bother you? Check it out at:_

_theair-thesun. livejournal[dotcom]/312050[dothtml]_

_**** Updated as of July 4th **** I'd like to thank the people who nominated my stories in the Jacob Black N Pack Awards! This is the first time I have been eligible for the JBNP Awards, and being nominated at all, never mind in more than one category is an honour! _

_If you are interested in participating in voting, you can find details for nominees and voting tool link here:_

_jacobblack-n-pack. blogspot. ca_


	5. Rescue

_Thank you faithful readers for coming to read this late update. I don't like missing my update schedule, especially if it means I've gone more than a week without posting, but I couldn't get this chapter finished any faster._

_My beta is on holidays, and since I only finished writing this a couple of hours ago, it is unbeta'ed. I did the best I could to self-edit, but there's a reason why I use a beta._

_Without any more delay, here it is, Chapter 5!_

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**Chapter 5—Rescue **

"Um, shouldn't we get Paul and Jared before attacking?" I still didn't know the specifics about our super powers, but something told me two against seven wasn't going to be pretty.

"We're not here to attack," Sam answered gruffly.

"What if _they_ attack _us_?"

"That's unlikely."

I remembered the look on the crazy blond guy and doubted Sam.

"They were pretty damn fast at the party, and strong too."

"According to you, everyone's gone except for the doctor." Had I told him that? I couldn't remember. Of course, it didn't matter if I had or not since he could read my mind now, or could he? Huh, I couldn't read _his_ anymore, but who knew how this worked?

"Yeah, that's right, I forgot they left. Hey, Sam, can you still read my mind right now?"

"No, it only happens when we're both wolves. So, when they left, did they say how long they'd be gone?"

"I don't think so, but the doctor said to stay away until he contacted them."

"Good. They'll listen to Carlisle since he's the leader, and we won't have any problems with him—he's passive."

"If we're not going to take them down, why _are_ we here?"

"To get rid of them once and for all."

I wasn't sure how we were going to do _that_ without fighting but kept my mouth shut for now.

We rounded the curve in the driveway, and the house appeared up ahead. The doctor was outside, as though he were waiting for us.

"Did you call him or something?" I asked.

"He heard us."

"His hearing's that good?"

"All of us have hearing like that, you included."

"Yeah, I noticed my senses were pretty sensitive when I was running."

"It's like that when you're human too."

"How good are they?"

"Later." Why did every answer from Sam make me feel like a kid bothering his mommy?

Sam pulled the truck up to the side of the house and exited without a word. I followed in his heels, irritated at the lack of information shared between us.

"We meet again, Sam." The doctor nodded. "Hello, Jacob." At least _someone_ recognized my presence.

"Where are the rest?" Sam barked.

"Heading east."

"How far?"

"That hasn't been determined yet."

"For how long?"

"We haven't determined that either."

"You need to leave, for good. I was right the last time. It _is_ your presence. Jacob phased tonight because of you."

Carlisle looked me up and down, his face sympathetic. It made me uncomfortable—not the looking but the sympathy.

"It's what I feared. Arrangements shall be made with the hospital and school for our permanent departure as soon as possible."

"Make sure your son, the one dating the Swan girl, understands this is permanent."

"Yes, Edward. He had trouble staying away last time, and was the strongest advocate for returning. I shall do all I can."

"Make sure 'all you can' keeps him out of the area."

"You have my word, Sam. It saddens me that our presence has affected the lives of your people."

"We're done. Come on, Jake." Sam turned and walked away. I shrugged at the doctor—feeling kind of rude, even though I hadn't been the one doing anything—and followed Sam to the truck.

At some point, I'd have to find the courage to talk to him about this. Following him like a stray dog—no pun intended—was going to piss me off soon.

By the time we got to La Push, the sun was peeking through the horizon behind us. This had been the longest night of my life, and yet, the only thing on my mind was food. As if on cue, my stomach made some disturbing noises.

"We'll head over to Emily's for breakfast," Sam announced. "She'll have enough food on hand to feed you, and I'll give Billy a call while you eat."

What was Sam talking about? Granted, I was hungrier than ever, but we had food too, and I didn't know him well, and certainly not his girlfriend. She had moved down here not long ago from the Makah reservation.

"Don't worry about it. We've got cereal and stuff for sandwiches at home. Besides, I need to hit the sack."

"Billy will understand."

Again, it wasn't a question, more like an edict. _Was_ it an edict?

"Sam, how does this order thing work, you know, what you did to Paul, to shut him up?"

"Basically, we work as a group to hunt vampires and can't waste time arguing, so the Alpha has the ability to give orders."

"And you're the Alpha."

"For now."

"Huh?"

"You're supposed to be our leader, Jake."

I had forgotten about that.

"I don't even know the rules yet."

He gave me a friendly pat on the back and laughed. "I didn't mean right this instant. Look, we'll give you time to get used to things and revisit this later, okay?"

"Sure, sure."

Once we got to Emily's place, the morning passed in a blur of food, information, and a lot of bitter commentary from Sam. It began with a monumentally large breakfast, after which, my dad arrived with Old Quil and Harry Clearwater. Surprisingly, the first thing they did was give me a haircut. I would have put up more of a fight, but fatigue had set in. What did I care anyway? It was only hair, and if it affected the fur on my wolf's body, then I was probably better off to have it short.

Following the haircut, we went over rules, patrol schedules, the treaty, and getting me back to my regular life. Most of it passed in a haze, as sleep deprivation and shock took their hold on me. I had no idea when the impromptu meeting ended, nor how I had ended up in my own bed, but I awoke to the bright, morning sun streaming in through my bedroom window. That could only mean that I had slept through the rest of Wednesday, all night, and it was now Thursday morning.

I rubbed my eyes and squinted at the overly bright light. Amidst the chirping birds, I heard voices in conversation. It was Sam and my dad talking about the Cullens.

"Be patient, Sam. It's been one day."

"Guess you're right, Billy, but you know how it is. Can't trust them, especially after the last time."

"I wasn't happy about that either, but they did keep to the treaty."

"The treaty's old, and we should think about revising it. Times are different now. Becoming a wolf isn't the same as it was back then."

"I'm sorry about that, Sam. It shouldn't be this way, you boys having to hide and make sacrifices, while the rest of us benefit from your protection."

"Hey, Billy, I didn't mean to complain, and don't you worry about Jacob, he's taking to this really well. I think he'll be good enough to go back to school soon."

"Have you spoken to _them_ since your visit?"

"Yeah, I called the doctor at the hospital when I found out the others had gone to school. He said he's resigned from his position there and was making preparations to leave. They should be gone today once school lets out."

"Why did they come back here at all last March? Even if they thought they weren't the cause of the transformations, they'd have to make up reasons for their return."

"It was the Swan girl—I'm sure of it."

"Bella? I can't imagine one of _their_ kind caring enough about a human."

"Who knows what they feel, if they feel anything at all? In any case, it was enough for him to talk the rest of them into moving back, and looked to me like the feeling was mutual."

"Yes, I agree with that. It's very concerning that Charlie's girl is under his spell. The sooner they leave, the better it'll be, for everyone."

Sam was right about the hearing. I had assumed they were at the front of the house, but I was wrong. From the empty front room, I followed their voices outside, around to the back. I kept walking, wondering how far they were. Finally, out past the garage, on a couple of lawn chairs by the fire pit, I came upon the two of them.

"You must be hungry, son," my father said with a smile.

I didn't notice until me mentioned it, but it felt like I hadn't eaten in days.

"Yeah, I am. What time did I get to bed yesterday?" I ran my tongue along my teeth, feeling the hairy accumulation of plaque. My mouth was so stale, that even _I_ was bothered by the smell.

"Jake, it's Friday."

"_What_?"

The two of them laughed!

"You needed the sleep. It's perfectly normal," Sam replied.

"Come on, Sue Clearwater came by with a big pot of stew for when you woke up. It'll just take a few minutes to heat it up." Dad turned his chair around and began wheeling toward the house. I followed, grabbing the handles to push for him.

"You sure this is normal? I mean, shit, Friday? I didn't even get up to take a piss, or did I?"

"I don't keep track of your bathroom breaks, son. You've been potty trained for quite some time now."

"So, what's this I hear about the Cullens still being in town?" I asked, ignoring my father's dig at me.

I left out my reason for asking about the Cullens because I knew how stupid it was. I mean, here I was, waiting for a girl to break up with her vampire boyfriend, so I could have a chance with her, when I should have been concentrating on the fact that I had recently turned into a werewolf. I chalked it up to teenage hormones.

"They need to tie up loose ends, or at least that's the story they gave us," Sam replied. "After you eat, we're going out for a run to see what you can do. I have a feeling you're going to be one special wolf."

I wasn't sure if being a special wolf was going to be a good thing or not.

* * *

The day was long, but surprisingly pleasant. Sam and I stayed in wolf form for most of it, so he could show me the ropes, and I could practice using my skills. For the most part, everything came easily to me, including self-control, something that had been a challenge for everyone else.

By the time Sam decided we were done for the day, and we made our way back to La Push, school had gotten out. The two of us were walking up the main road when I noticed Quil and Embry coming toward us. They stopped and stared at me. I thought of how I must look to them, walking with Sam, bare-chested, my hair cropped short, and otherwise looking like a "cult" member, as we had once referred Sam, Jared, and Paul.

Quil raised his hand and smiled, as though to wave, but Embry grabbed his arm, pulling it down. He spoke quietly in Quil's ear, but I still heard.

"He's with Sam now, don't you see?"

"Embry, man, that's Jake! He hated those guys more than us."

"Look at him, dude! He cut his hair!"

"Maybe he wanted a change?"

"Yeah? Then why wasn't he in school the past two days? He doesn't look sick to me."

"Let's go and say, 'hi' at least."

"Forget it. He's become Uley's lap dog like the rest of them."

Sam nudged me in an attempt to direct me away from my friends.

"Why can't I talk to them?" I ask, irritated.

"What are you going to say? Not the truth, and no lie will sound convincing." He was right. So far, the whole ordeal was overwhelming, but it wasn't until now that I realized how shitty my life had become. Of all the changes that had occurred, the one I resented most was the loss of free will.

It had begun with the haircut then, missing school—which admittedly, I didn't complain about—and now my friends couldn't be my friends anymore.

I looked on as Embry turned away and dragged Quil. Quil resisted at first, refusing to move. He smiled, imploring me to respond. Nothing on my face moved. I wanted to say something, or at least wave back, but the only thing I did was walk away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Quil's fading smile.

The loss of my two best friends kept my mind occupied the rest of the afternoon. Sam and I met up with Paul and Jared to work on fighting skills, but the session had to stop prematurely. My lack of focus caused me to incur more injuries than Sam felt comfortable with, and both Paul and Jared were irritated with me for not fighting back.

Tired, injured—although healing by the second—and defeated, I made my way home with Sam as my chaperone. Having him around all the time was beginning to make me feel childish, but I didn't have the energy to argue.

The day had ended, but it wasn't night yet. The sky was dark, with the bluish haze of dusk still visible. From down the street I saw my father in his wheelchair sitting on the front stoop, awaiting our arrival. I saw, even at this distance, that he was distressed. Something had happened.

My legs took flight, heading to my father. I heard the thud of Sam's feet behind me and felt his hand grab my shoulder, slowing me down.

"We're in public, Jacob. You have to run slower."

He was right—I had secrets now.

"Dad, what's wrong?" I asked once we reached him.

"Charlie just called—Bella's missing."

"Is it possible she went with the Cullens?" Sam suggested.

"Charlie seems to think she hadn't intended on going anywhere, but either way, we need to find out what happened. If her boyfriend lost control…well, then the treaty would be broken."

"Don't worry, Billy, we'll find her, one way or another."

"You want me to go get Jared?" I asked, surprisingly exhilarated at the thought of hunting down Bella's boyfriend.

"You're staying here, Jacob."

"Why?"

"You've only phased a couple of days ago—it's not the right time for you to be hunting for the Cullens or the Swan girl."

"But you told me I had better control after one day than the other guys had a month in! Besides, if the Cullens are behind this, you're going to need all of us—there're seven of them!"

"There's no reason to believe it's anything serious. After, all, it wouldn't be the first time a teenage girl stayed out past curfew."

"It's kind of early to be past anyone's 'curfew'," I replied, nodding toward the darkening sky. If Charlie was worried about his daughter being missing before dark on a Friday night, then something must have happened. "And Bella doesn't strike me as the partying type," I added.

In the end, Sam conceded. Paul and Jared were assigned to guard the perimeter around La Push, while he went venturing out near the Cullen property for Bella. I got stuck hanging around the Swan's backyard. It was absolutely stupid.

My "territory", as he called it, was so close to residential areas that it didn't make sense to phase. It was more efficient for me stay human, allowing me the convenience of going in and out of the forest without constantly getting dressed and undressed.

I started in her backyard, now abandoned. Charlie, and the search party he had assembled, had already been here and moved on to the surrounding woods. The mixture of aftershave and sweat was fresh, but Bella's scent still stood out to me. Even before I had phased, I noticed her hair had smelled of strawberries, and that's the scent I followed.

There was another odor mingled in hers though—one I had once mistaken for bad cologne—the scent of my enemy. It was paired with Bella's, as though they had travelled together into the trees.

Their trail led into the woods, and I followed it, wondering why they had gone there. It seemed an odd time to go for a hike, and there was a perfectly good house to sit in if all they wanted was to talk. The only reason I could think of was to seek shelter from prying eyes, giving the vampire an opportunity to kill her.

On the soft earth, were small footprints made by sneakers, probably Bella's sneakers. They were close together, which meant she had been walking at a normal pace, not running. I took that as an indication she was still alive.

A short distance away, I came to a spot where the forest floor had been trampled by shuffling and pacing. They must have stopped here, but why? I saw no signs of a struggle, and most importantly, no blood.

Their trail picked up again on the other side of this clearing, but at some point the two separated. The vampire's scent went in one direction, and Bella's appeared to have followed him except, from the length of the leech's strides it appeared he was running. There was no way she would have been able to keep up with him. That was probably the reason why her footprints eventually veered off in a different direction. I shook my head at the thought of her chasing a vampire, thinking there was a hope in hell of catching up to him.

It was too easy re-tracing Bella's footsteps. Having a werewolf track her was like killing an ant with a shotgun. I was amazed Charlie hadn't found her already.

The further I went, the more apparent it became—from the broken branches, and large impressions made in the ground where she fell—that Bella was alone. It made me angry. If the leech wanted to kill her, he would have done it already. The only other reason he could have had for coming here was to say goodbye. That meant he probably didn't want anything bad to happen to her, in which case, what was the guy thinking? She was a city girl, from Phoenix! Why would he have brought her into the woods and left her? Was he hoping she'd die of exposure or hypothermia so he could kill her without breaking the treaty? She _did_ know about them being vampires after all.

I picked up my pace as it began to rain. Even though I only wore cut offs, I felt comfortable, but I still knew it was cold. I thought of Bella being out here, wet, and alone, and swore I'd kill the damn leech myself if I ever saw him again.

There was no sense to the direction she had travelled in. Her trail formed moving circles that crept ever further from the trail. If Sam hadn't put me here, how long would it have taken him to decide to search so close to her home? How long could she survive out in the cold and rain without shelter or food?

The smell of strawberries became stronger, and I heard faint whimpering.

"Bella!" I called, but no one answered.

The rain came down harder, and broke through the canopy of the trees. I ran faster, shouting her name every few seconds. A faint heartbeat let me know I was close enough for her to hear my calls, but she never answered. Why hadn't she? Didn't she _want_ to be found?

A feeble whimper sounded again, as the heartbeat became louder. I could even feel a trace of warmth around me that had escaped from her body. Why couldn't I see her? That's when I looked down. She lay on the ground, in a puddle of mud, close to my feet, curled into the fetal position. The rain had soaked right through her clothes, and her body shook violently.

"Bella?" She didn't look up.

I bent down and touched her, moving the hair away from her face. Her skin felt like ice against my hand. I slid my hands underneath her neck and legs, cradling her in my arms and then, stood up.

She felt frozen against my bare chest and shivered even in my unnaturally warm arms. I pulled the hood of her coat up onto her head, wondering why she hadn't done it herself. Holding her as close to me as possible, in hopes that the heat from my body would warm her, I ran. My head was bent forward in an attempt to shelter her from the downpour, and my feet moved quickly, throwing up mud behind us. I tried not to notice how cold her body had become, or the violent shivering that would not stop. Instead, I focused on her faint heartbeat and quiet whimpering, knowing they meant she was still alive.

* * *

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter and reviews are always appreciated!_


	6. Secrets

_Thank you, **JaspersDestiny** for beta'ing for this chapter. I can't tell you how happy I am, now that you've returned from your vacation. My life feels like it has returned to its previous, and intended course. Ahhhhh._

_Thank you faithful readers for waiting around the twelve days it's taken me to get this update posted. I've come to realize that my time is much more limited in the summer than I had anticipated. On that note, I'm still trying to get back on track with the update schedule. _

* * *

**Chapter 6—Secrets **

"If you changed me, I'd be good enough."

I almost dropped her. She had been mumbling the whole time, most of it incoherently, but that last statement was loud and clear. Not only had Bella known about them, she wanted to _be_ like one them! And what the hell was this "good enough" shit? Had he told her that she wasn't good enough for him? I didn't realize his palate was so discriminating.

"We're almost at your house, Bella." I was sure she was either sleeping or delirious, unaware of what was going on, but I still felt a need to talk to her since she was speaking as well.

"Edward, please, take me with you! Don't leave me here alone!"

Why would she be alone—was Charlie kicking her out or something? And all this drama! She only moved here in January, how long could those two have dated?

"Look, there's your house now!" Charlie was in the driveway with a couple of his deputies and Sam. My guess was that they were regrouping because everyone was leaning over the hood of Charlie's cruiser, looking at a map.

Sam looked up in my direction before I broke clear of the trees. Acting normal was something he'd have to work on apparently.

To save Sam from having to explain how he knew I was approaching before anyone else heard or saw anything, I shouted, "I found her!"

Charlie looked up and turned his head toward the trees that lined his property.

"Over here!" I yelled. Everyone ran toward the sound of my voice as I emerged.

"Jacob? How…is she all right? Where was she?"

"She seems okay, Charlie, just cold and a little punchy."

Charlie's arms extended in my direction—presumably to take her from me. For whatever reason, I didn't want to hand her over.

"Let me take her, Jake. And thank you."

"It's okay, Charlie. I'm going to take her straight in to warm up. She's soaking wet."

I ran past Charlie, his arms still extended. Why was I being so stubborn? Sure, Charlie would probably take out his back carrying her back to the house, but she _was_ his daughter.

There was something about Bella… The words that escaped her lips during our trek through the forest had been honest. She was knee deep in the supernatural world that I had been thrust into, and perhaps for that reason I felt like it was my job to keep her on the correct side of that world, away from those who tossed her away on a whim.

By the time I got in, Charlie was close behind me. He laid a throw onto the couch and pointed for me to set her down. One of his deputies got on the phone and called Dr. Gerandy in response to the Chief's barked orders. There was a flurry of activity, all of which I ignored.

"Bella, honey, can you talk?" Charlie was leaning over her, one hand on her forehead, the other holding her hand. "Why were you in the woods?"

"I don't think she's completely conscious, but she has been talking…not to me, though. It seemed like she was dreaming or something."

"She talks in her sleep," Charlie replied. "Were you able to make out anything? Do you know why she was out there? Bella hates hiking."

"She said something about Edward." I didn't owe the guy anything. Besides, he was long gone. It wouldn't matter what anyone thought of him around here. "I think he broke up with her." I saw an angry scowl form on Charlie's face. No father liked a boy dumping his girl—especially since they were all sure he wasn't good enough for her in the first place. I knew this because I had a father and two sisters.

"And he left her out in the middle of the woods?" He was livid.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but when I was out there looking for her, there were a lot of broken branches and things, like she'd been running." Edward was my enemy, so I had no reason to hide his misdeeds. "She mumbled something about how she could try to be good enough for him."

"That's it! I never liked that boy! Just too polite for a teenager, if you ask me. And the entire summer they dated, never once did I see him eat anything when he came over. Like our food wasn't good enough for him! Do you know, Bella used to eat before she went out with him? Not that I think a boy should have to foot the bill all the time, but a rich kid like that couldn't take my girl out for a meal once in a while?" The gloves were coming off.

"Chief Swan, she's back now and seems all right. That's what's important." I hadn't noticed that Sam had entered the house.

"Maybe all of you on the reservation were right about those Cullens after all. First thing in the morning I'm giving the doctor a call, and we're going to have a talk about his son."

"They've left town, Chief Swan," Sam said.

"When?"

"Probably right after Bella saw her…boyfriend."

"You mean they…left? Just like that? What about the hospital!"

"I heard Dr. Cullen got a job offer in L.A. that he couldn't refuse. He gave notice a couple of days ago, I think," one of Charlie's deputies answered.

"He packed up and left with a couple of days' notice? A small town like ours needs time to replace a doctor. I'm sure a big city like Los Angeles could have waited a few weeks." Charlie continued to grumble as he looked down at his daughter, his eyebrows furrowed with worry.

"Jacob, everything looks fine here," Sam announced. "Why don't you come with me? I can drop you off at home."

"Thanks, Sam, but I'd like to stay until Bella's awake, if Charlie doesn't mind. We're almost family, aren't we, Charlie?" Okay, so I was pushing it a bit, but I knew Charlie wasn't going to say no. After all, I _had_ found Bella and possibly saved her from hypothermia.

"Uh…sure, if Billy's okay with it. Where are your clothes, Jacob?"

Wasn't that the million-dollar question. I noticed Sam was fully dressed. The two of us had left a full set in his truck, but of course I hadn't had a chance to get to it.

"Er… I was trying to keep Bella dry with my coat, and it must have fallen in my rush to get here. My shirt got all torn up and kept getting caught on stuff, so I took it off."

"Well, I'll have Dr. Gerandy take a look at you, too, once he gets here. It's cold as all heck out there tonight." Charlie wrapped the throw around Bella and placed a pillow under her head. "Why don't you go upstairs and clean yourself up. You can borrow one of my shirts again. Bring down a blanket while you're at it."

"Sure, sure," I replied, all smiles. As I headed for the stairs, I noticed Sam staring after me disapprovingly. "Thanks for the offer, Sam. I'll see you around!" He was forced to leave now. Charlie didn't know him well, and staying after I had announced his departure would look weird or rude.

While we waited for Dr. Gerandy to arrive, Bella woke up. Actually, woke up might be overstating the situation. She wouldn't make eye contact with us, nor would she answer our questions. At one point, Bella covered her ears and started shouting, "Stop!" We did as she asked, leaving the living room altogether as she sat on the couch, her knees bent, her arms hugging them against her body as she rocked slowly, staring at the wall.

The entire situation seemed extreme to me. My sisters had gotten dumped before by guys they'd dated longer than six months and neither of them had ever gone this far. It would have been tempting to assume she was seeking attention if it weren't for the fact that she didn't once try to flick the mud off her face or run her fingers through her hair. Bella wasn't even self-conscious about having had most of her wet clothes stripped off. She was wearing only her bra and underwear underneath the blankets. Yeah, it was definitely not an act.

And this is how the few minutes between the time everyone left and the doctor arrived passed, with Charlie and me sitting in complete silence. It was a relief when Dr. Gerandy finally appeared.

"Well, Charlie, she seems to be fine physically, just some scrapes and bruises, but…" Dr. Gerandy rubbed his chin, deep in thought. He had the type of expression on his face that people got when they had to tell someone something they knew had the potential to be offensive. "How was she before this happened? I mean, have things been going all right since she moved back?"

"I don't know what you mean… Neither of us are talkative, but we get along. She's a good kid, and I've always been around. Sure, I've had to work some, but—"

"Charlie," Dr. Gerandy interjected. "You're taking this the wrong way. Was she…_sad_ before all this? Did she have friends at school, were her grades steady?"

"Oh, uh, sure. I mean, I think she was friendly with the Stanley girl, and Bella's always been a good student. All this happened because her boyfriend moved away."

"I suppose that's possible. Now, Charlie, I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but…well…I'd like to talk to her alone, if you don't mind." Charlie looked skeptical. "You know, I have some delicate things to ask her, female things." That's all Charlie needed to hear to clear the room.

"Oh, uh, yeah, sure. Come on, Jake. We should give Billy a call anyway."

Being able to hear everything was great. Having to concentrate on two conversations at once was not.

"_Bella, I need to ask you some questions. Do you think you can concentrate enough to give me complete, detailed answers?" _Dr. Gerandy asked Bella.

"_Yes," _she mumbled.

"So, Jake, I could get one of my guys to give you a ride home, but they've all been out past their usual shifts…" Charlie began uncomfortably.

"I don't want to put anyone out, Charlie." I wasn't sure what he was getting at, but I knew I didn't want to leave right now.

"_Your Dad tells me you and your boyfriend just broke up," _Dr. Gerandy continued.

"_He moved away," _she answered, sounding dazed.

"Maybe you can stay the night here? You know, if you don't have anything urgent tomorrow." Had I dreamed that Charlie had asked me that?

"No, that's fine. Tomorrow's Saturday, and there's nothing planned." Which was actually the truth.

"_But he came to see you right before he left?"_

"_Yes."_

"In that case, would you feel comfortable keeping Bella company for a bit tomorrow morning?" Where did Charlie have to be that was more important than staying home with Bella?

"_Did he hurt you?"_

"_Yes."_ What? I hadn't seen any evidence that he had done something to her… What had I missed?

"_How? Did he do anything you didn't want him to?" _Oh, I hadn't thought of _that_. Were vampires even able to do that?

"_Yes. He left." _She obviously didn't understand what Dr. Gerandy was getting at.

"Uh…sure?" I had forgotten Charlie had asked a question, and my answer came a little late.

"_After hurting you?"_

"_That's what hurt me, him leaving. He wouldn't take me with him."_

"_He didn't do anything _before_ he left?"_

"_He told me why he wasn't taking me. I'm not good enough."_

It was what she had been mumbling when I found her. Hearing her say it again made my blood boil. I mean, a guy _had_ to have done or said something to make a girl think she wasn't good enough for a fucking leech!

"You know, she seemed to like you well enough, what with inviting you to her birthday party and all…" Had Bella told Charlie she liked me?

_Oh, Christ, Jake, get your head out of the clouds! She's a senior_! I thought to myself.

"_What are you not good enough for? Did _you_ have news to share with him too?" _Did the doctor know something we didn't? What _news _was he talking about?

"_N—no…" _She seemed as confused by the question as I was.

"Yeah, sure, no problem, Charlie," I answered, trying not to confuse this conversation with the one I was eavesdropping on. "Where're you going in the morning? You can't get time off?"

"_You and your boyfriend, the Cullen boy, I take it the two of you were serious?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Were you intimate?"_ Little did he know that she'd be dead if they had been.

"_That's none of your business!"_

"_Bella, I'm not here to judge. I'm asking as your doctor. I need to know if I should be running certain…tests with the blood sample I took from you."_

"_Tests? My blood?"_

"I could, but I feel bad," Charlie answered. "I had all the guys come out to look for Bella, and some were sleeping from having been on last night. Plus, I've got paperwork and phone calls to make now that she's been found, and there's no food in the house. Bella usually takes care of that."

"_You lost consciousness, Bella. It's not something that happens often to healthy young girls like you. Have you been eating properly and getting enough sleep?"_

"_Yes. I mean, maybe not so much sleep, but enough…I guess."_

"_Is it possible you're pregnant?"_

Somehow saliva got into my trachea, causing me to break out into a coughing fit.

"Well, you don't…have to…worry about me," I said between hacking. Charlie was eyeing me in a weird way. "I've got all day. Let me call Dad to let him know."

"_What? N—no!"_

"_Are you sure, Bella? I'm obligated to keep anything you tell me confidential, even from your father."_

"_I'm sure. There's _no way_ I could be pregnant. None, zero! Why are you asking me this?"_

"I'll call Billy. I was the one to ask you to stay, so I should be the one to let him know and make sure he doesn't need you himself."

"Sure, sure." I was too distracted to talk to my dad right now anyway. In fact, I was barely able to keep track of my conversation with Charlie.

"_You don't need to get upset, Bella. I won't mention it again. It's one of those things we have to ask when we examine a young girl your age."_

"_I can't talk about any of this. It hurts too much!"_

"_Okay, dear. I'm going to leave some pills with your father to help you sleep, and I think it would be beneficial if you could see another doctor, to find a way to make you feel better. Would you do that, Bella?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_Well, you think about it."_

I heard some shuffling. It was probably Dr. Gerandy leaving Bella's side.

"I'm going to go check on Bella, Charlie, to see if Dr. Gerandy's done."

"What if you walk in on…something?"

"I'll announce myself before I get to the room."

"Guess that'll be okay. Maybe she'll talk to _you_. I've got to call Billy anyhow."

Charlie picked up the phone and started dialing, and I made my way to the living room.

"Now, Mr. Black," Dr. Gerandy greeted me. "Charlie says you've been tromping in the woods half-naked, carrying this young lady. Let's take a look at you…"

I couldn't let him touch me. Under normal circumstances, there were ways to shrug off my high, werewolf body temperature, but after having been out in the cold rain, with barely anything on, he'd want to hospitalize me.

"Thank you, Dr. Gerandy, but I feel fine. I promise to see the doctor if anything comes up, no matter how minor."

"At least let me tend to your cuts and scratches."

"I don't have any."

"Not one? You were out in the woods shirtless!"

"I was careful, you know. Us boys from the reservation are one with nature and all." He wasn't buying it, and he was looking at me suspiciously. "And I don't have insurance."

"You can call this one a freebie." Shit, _now_ what?

"It's against my religion." I was grasping at straws.

"It's _what_?"

"Well, some of us haven't been going to the hospital the past few years…" Couldn't believe _that_ was coming in handy. "We're…ah…exploring our roots. We get checked out by the tribe's medicine man."

"Uh-huh. And if I asked your father about this?"

"He'd tell you the same. In fact, Charlie's on the phone with him right now if you want to ask him yourself." Man, was I glad Dad was in on the secret.

Dad was a smooth liar, and I tried to follow suit by keeping a serious expression while overhearing him explain some made up Quileute traditions. Hearing only Dr. Gerandy's side of the conversation was enough to make Charlie frown disapprovingly and shake his head. Oh well, at least the freakish decisions weren't something I'd have to explain anymore.

Bella took the pills Dr. Gerandy left for her and fell asleep. Charlie didn't like leaving her on the couch, and when it got late he turned off the muted television we were watching and bent down to pick her up.

"I can get her if you want, Charlie."

"No, no, you've done enough. I'm fully capable of picking up my own little girl."

"Sure, sure." Just to be safe, I stood close by. Charlie slipped one arm under her, below the shoulders, the other under her knees. He tried to stand up, straining the whole time. "It's no trouble, Charlie, really."

"I'm fine!" I heard him take a deep breath before standing upright. Of course, the moment he did, he lost his footing, taking an unexpected step back with Bella precariously teetering in his arms. Immediately, I grabbed hold of him until he was steady. "Maybe you should take her. I've had a long day…been on my feet for hours."

"Of course, you can get her next time, right?"

"Yeah, next time," he muttered resentfully.

I climbed the stairs slowly, hearing Charlie's feet padding up behind me. My eyes never left Bella. She looked vulnerable and weak, as though something—likely _someone_—had stripped her of the courage she once had. The girl I remembered from the beach—who hadn't cared if she sat alone or among friends, who sought out my company over others her own age—was gone. My arms held only the shell of what had once been her.

Lying on her bed, she looked too small for it. Bella had crawled into a ball, her arms wrapped around her legs. It was a disturbing position to see her in. Charlie tucked the blanket in around her, cleared her hair off her face, and wiped the last of the mud off with a damp washcloth. I backed out of the room slowly, feeling like an intruder, as Charlie bent down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Love you, honey," Charlie whispered. "Come back, Bella. Maybe I've never said this, but I need you more than you know." Some things should never be overheard.

I made my way downstairs and got comfortable on the couch, using the same throw Bella had used. Charlie was upstairs in the bathroom, probably getting ready for bed himself. He never came down to check on me, which was uncharacteristic of him. The door to his room closed firmly, and in the still night, I heard him sniffle.

With my eyes shut tight, I willed myself to sleep, to drift into unconsciousness and become deaf to Charlie's sorrow. The night was long, and sleep didn't come quickly, but eventually everything—and everyone—quieted down. That was, until she screamed.

"Change me! I'll be good enough if you change me!"

My feet were climbing the stairs before my mind was aware of it.

"Pleeeeeeease!" The word was barely decipherable within the bloodcurdling wail that accompanied it.

"Bella? Bella!" Charlie was already in the room when I arrived. He was at his daughter's side, holding her in his arms. "What did he do to you? Who made you think you're not good enough!" he hissed.

Bella broke out into uncontrollable sobs, but I wasn't sure if she was awake or still asleep.

"Take me with you, please!" She was asleep, and skirting close to giving up too much information, it would seem. "Change me!"

I grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. Why was I protecting _their_ secret? Because it was linked to mine.

"Jake, what are you doing?" Charlie demanded

"Bella, wake up!" I yelled at her, ignoring Charlie.

Her eyes twitched then shot open. She pushed me away from her, her head darting back and forth, taking in her surroundings.

"What are you doing here? How did I get here?" she asked no one in particular.

"Honey, you fell asleep downstairs and I thought you'd be more comfortable in bed."

"I don't remember coming upstairs."

"You were carried up."

"You carried me?" she asked Charlie.

"Er…actually, Jake here did. You know my back and all…"

"_You_ carried me?" she repeated, this time looking at me.

"Uh, yeah. Charlie said it was okay."

"Honey, what were you dreaming about? None of it made sense."

"Was I talking?" Her eyes bugged out in shock.

"Yes," Charlie answered.

"What did I say?"

"It was mostly screaming, but something about wanting to change. Didn't make any sense, really, but I suppose that's what nightmares are like."

Bella froze. Horror was written all over her face.

"I bet you don't even remember what you dreamed about," I tossed in casually. It was all I could come up with as an out for her.

She looked at me, surprised to hear me speak, as though she had forgotten I was in the room.

"Yeah…I mean, no…I mean, I don't remember what I dreamed about."

"Don't worry about it, Bells. I'm going to go downstairs and read the instructions Dr. Gerandy left, see if you're allowed to take another one of those pills to help you relax."

"Oh, I don't need any..." Her words trailed off as she caught sight of me making wild hand signals behind Charlie. "Sure, Dad, I'd appreciate it." Charlie got up and made his way out. I closed the door silently behind him.

"What's going on, Jacob?" she asked once Charlie's footsteps could be heard descending the stairs.

"I know your secret."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. I know what you wanted to be changed _into_." Her mouth dropped open. "You have to watch what you say if you don't want Charlie to suspect anything."

"How am I supposed to control what happens while I'm unconscious!"

"Guess this means you're not denying anything."

"I never said that!"

"Look, frankly, as long as they're gone, I don't give a shit what you know."

"How…what…even if I _did_ know something—and I'm not saying I do—how is it that _you_ happen to know?"

"Look, Charlie just shut the kitchen cupboard. He's on his way back up. We'll talk about this later."

"How do you know he shut the cup—? You…you can't be! But you're…I mean—"

"Shhhh!" I put my finger to my lips as the handle of her bedroom door moved.

"Bells, it says here you can have two, and you've only had one so far." Charlie's eyes were on a small bottle as he entered the bedroom.

"Uh, sure, Dad. What is it exactly?"

Charlie squinted and held the container at arm's length. Why did middle-aged people live in self-denial? Would reading glasses be _that_ bad a thing to have?

"It says…lorazepam," he replied, sounding the word out slowly. "Here. It's temporary, anyway. Dr. Gerandy didn't even leave a prescription, just a few pills."

I left, leaving Bella alone with Charlie, feeling the need to be alone. Facing Bella's questions wasn't something I had intended on tackling tonight. This was all new to me, and I had no idea how to explain my superpower hearing. The "rules" per se hadn't completely been laid out for me yet, only the preliminary ones. These secrets were turning out to be harder to keep than I had anticipated. I wondered if something would happen to me because I had nearly given away our secret. Of course, the more important question was, did I care?

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_Thank you for following my story. Reviews are always appreciated!_

_For those who may have forgotten, or just plain refused to read my numerous and lengthy author's notes, I am co-hosting a contest with willow2883 over at The Air, the Sun on LiveJournal. It's currently closed to new submissions, but open for voting! You don't need a LiveJournal account to read, review, and vote. Go before July 29th and pick your favourite!_

_theair-thesun. livejournal[dotcom]/315364[dothtml]_

_I've also recently posted another one shot called Anniversary. It was originally written, and entered in the JBNP Anonymous contest in June; however, it was done so very last minute. I have since taken the time to edit and polish it up. Some of the changes were extensive. For those who have already read it, the story is more or less the same, minus most of the errors, but with a longer, more detailed ending is where the bulk of the changes occurred._


	7. Moving Forward

_Please accept my apologies, dear readers for the tardiness of this chapter. It's been a rough few weeks (in the world of fanfiction) for me, and I simply have not wanted to continue. Thank you all for supporting my efforts by reading my stories, listing some among your favorites, and having this WIP on alert. A special thanks to all those who regularly leave reviews when I update. There's nothing that makes me feel more appreciated as a writer than hearing from readers who enjoy what I've written._

_I must thank my faithful beta, **JaspersDestiny** (she's from Sparkly Red Pen) who keeps her promises, shares information, and gets my chapters back to me quickly, even when I know she's swamped! _

_In case you need a recap: Edward left Bella as per canon, except this time around Jake finds her instead of Sam. She is found earlier in the night than she was in New Moon. Jake finds a way to stay at the Swan house overnight, during which Bella has a nightmare. Bella screams out words and phrases that hint to the fact that the Cullens are vampires and that she wants to be one. While Charlie is downstairs getting medication for her, Jake quickly informs Bella of the admissions she nearly made during her unconsciousness. He also mistakenly allows Bella to bear witness to his keen hearing ability. Jacob was able to slip away without having to provide an explanation for this, but he knows he'll be facing her come morning._

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**Chapter 7—Moving Forward**

"Seriously, we get our learner's permit early on the reservation, and I know this truck inside out! Who do you think delivered it here?"

"Fine, show me your learner's permit," Bella demanded.

"Uh…it was in my jacket, but it got lost."

"Sorry, if you can't produce it, then you can't drive."

"Aw…come on!"

"It's _my_ truck!"

She was cranky, but at least the exaggerated indignation at having to be the passenger got a reaction out of her. It was better than the complete silence in which we had spent the better part of the morning.

Before this whole driving thing happened, cleaning the kitchen after breakfast had been a welcomed diversion for me. Anything to get away from watching her sit on the coach with her chin resting on her knees, her arms wrapped around her legs, and her lifeless eyes looking for something that didn't exist.

The only good thing about the situation was that it seemed Bella had forgotten our conversation from last night. It made sense I suppose. She _was_ only awake a short while and then had taken that pill. Who knew what that thing did to her?

After a couple of hours, during which she didn't eat, drink, speak, or go to the bathroom, I called Charlie. I wax upstairs to his room in search of something to wear, with the door firmly closed behind me, when I saw the phone on the night table. Deciding things were weird enough to warrant advice, I picked it up and called the station.

"Charlie, it's Jake."

"Has something happened? Is Bella all right?"

"I'm not sure—I mean, nothing's happened, but that's the problem. She's like a zombie and hasn't done a single thing. I'm not sure if she's even brushed her teeth!"

"The girl's been pretty shaken up. Don't think it matters if she ignores dental hygiene for a day."

"That's just for starters. She hasn't eaten or gotten dressed. The last hour she's done nothing but sit on the coach in her pajamas with her arms wrapped around her legs, staring at the T.V., and it's not even on!"

"Did she cook you breakfast?"

"No… I mean, I don't expect her to, Charlie. I'm capable of taking care of myself. Just because she's a girl, shouldn't mean–"

"No, no, no! Not that! Bella _likes_ to cook."

"Oh. No, she hasn't been in the kitchen at all. I brought out toast and orange juice for her, but it hasn't been touched."

"Jake, can you do me a favor?"

"Sure, anything."

"Tell her you need a ride home and keep her at your place for a bit. I'm going to be another hour, and then I'll come out to La Push. Maybe the fresh air will do her some good. If you can, take her to the beach. She always liked the tide pools."

"I remember that. We bumped into each other on First Beach last winter. Okay, I'll give it a try."

"Oh, and Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"Try to convince her to let you drive. I know you've been driving without a license, and I don't approve of it, but she's not in any condition to be–"

"Don't worry, Charlie, I'll make sure we get to La Push in one piece."

That was how the battle for driving privileges had begun. Not that I fought all that hard. Driving that old truck wasn't exactly exciting. Sure, I was concerned about her safety, but with my reflexes, what could happen that I couldn't handle? Besides, it was early on a Saturday morning—there wouldn't be much traffic. More than anything, I was eager to be on our way and out of the house.

La Push was fifteen miles from Forks, and normally the drive took about twenty minutes. Of course, that was if someone reasonable was behind the wheel. Bella drove below the speed limit, making our trip last much longer.

"So…uh…how're you feeling today?" I asked, determined not to suffer through more zombified silence. "Do you feel sick or anything?" Even if she didn't answer, the sound of my own voice was better than nothing.

"Huh?" She turned to look at me, her hands moving along with her head. The steering wheel turned, and the truck lurched, the first sign it was about to veer sharply.

"Shit!" My hands landed on hers in my attempt to keep us from crashing.

"Edward?" she whispered. What was _that_ about? Had she hallucinated that I was her ex?

While we were no longer headed for the guardrail, we weren't slowing down either. She appeared unaware that her foot was still on the accelerator.

"Hit the brake!" I yelled.

Bella's foot lifted off the pedal without hitting the clutch, making the truck stall. I did what I could to steer us onto the shoulder before it came to a complete stop.

Once the car was pulled over and the parking break was on, Bella shook her head, as though to wake herself from the daze she had been in. She stared down at her hands and then looked up at me.

"Your reaction was pretty fast," she commented.

"You nearly get us killed and the only thing you have to say is that my reaction was 'pretty fast'? Guess what, people tend to react quickly when their lives are endangered!"

"Oh, sorry," she tossed out absently.

"What was going on? Why did you say his name?"

"I said…? I don't know…I mean, I don't remember." Wonderful. Someone who couldn't remember doing something thirty seconds ago was driving the vehicle _I_ was in. "You got a hold of the steering wheel before the truck even left its lane, and last night… I forgot all about it until now."

Great, so much for that stupid pill erasing her memory…

"Yeah, whatever. Look, I thought you'd be okay to drive, but apparently I was wrong. Give me the keys, and I'll get us the rest of the way there, alive!"

"You don't have a license!" It was the same argument she'd made back at the house. Guess beating an old horse was her style.

"Then get Charlie to arrest me. Now, give me the damn keys!"

"It's _my_ truck!"

"It wouldn't be drivable if it weren't for me!"

"My father _bought_ it from you."

"I can guarantee Charlie would rather have _me_ drive than have _you_ end up in the morgue." Begrudgingly, she handed me the keys. "Thanks," I said sheepishly, taking them and getting out of the truck to switch seats with her.

Back in the cab, I started up the engine and asked, "So you going to tell me why you thought I was Edward?"

"No reason. Something reminded me of him."

Bella's body curled up into a ball, her knees meeting her chin and her arms wrapped around her shins. It was the same position she had been in for almost two hours back at the house. How could that parasite be worth this much mourning?

"I suppose I can see how nearly _dying_ would make you think of him." My words were cutting, but the thought of him, of any of them, made my temperature rise—and not in a good way.

"You know nothing about him!"

"Oh, I know plenty, maybe more than you," I said.

"How would _you_ know anything? You think spending one evening with them has suddenly given you all the answers?"

"Stop pretending! We both know you remember our conversation from last night."

"You mean where you exhibited some inhuman behavior?" Did she think she was could win against me in a "who can be the bluntest" contest?

"How about I make it easy for both of us. No more talking in circles." Sam had only said I couldn't tell anyone about _us_—he never mentioned _them_. Besides, she already knew what they were. "I know what they _are_."

"What they _are_? I don't know what you're thinking, and you sound crazy."

"You're hardly in a position to be calling _me_ crazy." Bella's face dropped, as though it had shattered, and she began nibbling on a fingernail. "Sorry, that was uncalled for. Look, it seems you're not doing so well, and it probably wouldn't hurt to talk to someone who knows what the deal is…er, _was_." I took a deep breath. Why was it so embarrassingly weird to say this word out loud? Maybe it'd get easier closer to Halloween. "I know the Cullens are _vampires_."

Bella's mouth hung open and her eyes bugged out so far they looked as though they might fall out of their sockets.

"How…? Wait…are you…? Is that how you know, and why your hearing…?"

If it were Charlie, I'd be able to explain it away, but this was Bella, the girl who knew about—and ran with—vampires. In fact, she thought _I_ was one.

"What is this about my hearing? Are you suddenly a doctor now?"

"You were able to hear Charlie when he was downstairs," she persisted.

"You mean you _couldn't_?" I returned innocently.

"Of course not! The door was closed!"

"Yeah, but your house is kind of old, with thin walls, and Charlie's not a quiet guy. He was banging cupboards, tripping on nothing, and bumping into furniture." Charlie wasn't graceful, but I was doing him a bit of an injustice. He wasn't quite _that_ bad.

"I don't remember hearing him..." Bella trailed off, as though speaking to herself. "He's probably the one I got it from." The last sentence was nearly a whisper, so quiet I may not have heard it if I were normal.

"Got _what_ from him?" Was klutziness genetic?

"Nothing." Apparently she thought so.

That ended the questions, for now, but the silence returned. We drove another five minutes before I caught sight of the coast. La Push was close and time was running out. Once we were with my dad, the opportunity to ask her about her vampire friends would be lost.

"You going to tell me why you dated a bloodsucker?"

She was caught her off guard and stared at me, her mouth opening to speak a couple times but unable to find the right words. Finally she said, "None of this is any business of yours!" Wow, original.

"Suit yourself. Guess I'll have to make assumptions about your reasons." If there was one thing I knew chicks hated, it was the thought of someone believing them to be something they weren't.

"They're a normal family." I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing out loud.

"Who are you kidding? Was it the money? Or do you go for the tall, pale, and frigid type?"

"Stop! Just, stop!" she screamed, her hands covering her ears. The frantic beating of her heart was deafening.

"Sorry," I replied, reaching over and taking her hand—pulling it down, away from her head. Her heartbeat slowed down, returning to a more normal rate.

"What makes you think you're right about them?"

"Why don't you know the answer to that?" I asked as a thought came to me.

"How am I supposed to know what you're thinking?"

"Bella, was I the one who told you about them in the first place?" I asked, ignoring her question.

I was looking straight ahead at the road, but I still saw her staring at me out of the corner of my eye. Her gaze was piercing, trying to remember another day, when she was happier, before the mystical world had taken her soul.

"Last winter, on the beach. Is that what you're talking about?" I nodded, gripping the steering wheel a bit tighter. I didn't know when she found out what the Cullens were, or whether I had been the one to tell her, but I needed to know. "You told me about the cold ones…"

"Did you know when you asked?"

"You told me you didn't believe those stories," she said, not answering me.

"I said they were scary stories. I don't recall specifically confirming or denying there was any truth to them." She was right; I hadn't believed any of it back then. But I was right, too. I never actually said that to her at the time.

"I knew he was different but not what he was, not until you told me."

Maybe, if I had listened to my dad and taken the legends more seriously, I would have obeyed the rules and kept those stories to myself. Would that have prevented her from succumbing to all of this?

Still holding her hand in mine, I waited for her to say more, to guess what the rest of it meant, that I was a monster as well, but that moment never materialized. She didn't go beyond that one part of the story. It was as though no one else mattered. Every part of her being revolved around one person—the leech.

"He's not like the rest of them—none of Cullens are," she finally said. Did she think their chosen diet would completely change my opinion of them? Had she forgotten I was witness to a vampire attack?

"Not like what? They don't suck blood? What do they do, shoot themselves up instead?"

"No!" Bella slipped her hand out of mine. "They don't kill people—they only drink animal blood."

"Yes, and that makes it _so_ much safer for you," I blurted out resentfully.

"They would never hurt me…" Her words trailed off, and her voice grew quiet.

"You don't sound convinced," I sneered, knowing she was recalling the events of her birthday party.

"That night…it was an accident. Jasper didn't mean to–"

"That was no accident, and he _did_ mean to!" I interjected. "I saw his face. Remember, I was there too."

"I meant that none of them would do anything like that if I hadn't cut my finger. It's so difficult for him because he's the newest and–"

"Wait up! Are you taking the fall for a leech who tried to _kill_ you?" She was a piece of work! Who the hell took the blame for almost being murdered?

"But it was _because_ of me. If I hadn't cut myself then he wouldn't have been tempted. I already told you he's the newest!"

"Yeah, newest. They've been in Forks for over two years—how new can he be?"

"I think he and Alice joined in the fifties."

"You mean fifty years ago? You call that 'new'?" Hell, I got my shit together after one day, and even Paul was doing all right most of the time after just a few months!

"It is if you're immortal!" The defensiveness never let up with her.

"They're not the only ones who can live forever," I grumbled under my breath.

"What did you say?" Had I said it loudly enough for her to hear? "You said something about living forever."

"No, I didn't," I denied. "Let's see, last night you were hard of hearing, and today you're hearing me say things I haven't said."

"You _really_ didn't say anything?" she asked.

"No," I answered, surprised she'd accept it so easily. A twinge of guilt shot through me because I had probably made her believe she was losing her mind.

"There's nothing wrong with you, Bella."

"I—what makes you think that's what I'm worried about?"

"Because you're easier to read than a book!"

"I'm hearing things. Isn't that a sign of…of something?"

"You're not hearing things," I conceded. "I _did_ say something, just not that."

"What _did_ you say?" What was I going to tell her?

"Nothing important. Something about how it wasn't fair that they got to live forever." That sounded like a reasonable thing to gave said.

"Oh." She still looked worried.

"What else is bugging you?"

"Did…did you hear anything before…when we were about to drive into the guard rail?"

"Other than me screaming at you? No." Okay, that wasn't the _entire_ truth. "You said _his_ name." I chose not to say it because it seemed hearing it caused her physical pain.

"Nothing else?"

"Nope. Why, what did _you_ hear?" She was obviously asking for a reason.

"I guess nothing. It was probably my head playing tricks on me. That happens sometimes when people are in danger, doesn't it?"

"Sure, sure." That was also not the entire truth. A split second didn't seem long enough for anyone to start daydreaming. In fact, I was pretty sure she hadn't realized there _was_ any danger until after we had pulled over.

"Jacob, do you think I'm crazy?" she asked as we pulled onto the main street of La Push.

"I don't think you're certifiable, but yeah, you're crazy for hanging out with a bunch of vampires."

"You don't really know that's what they are, not for sure."

"Uh, yes, I do, and as I recall, _you_ confirmed it."

"How come you're not freaked out?"

"Let's just say I'm good with weird," I replied. "Look, don't tell Dad anything."

"Trust me, I won't. And you can't say anything to Charlie, or anyone! You have to promise me. This wasn't my secret."

"Don't worry; no one's going to know we had this conversation. Oh, by the way, Charlie wants you to stick around. He said he'll come by later."

"He did? When did you talk to him?"

"When I was upstairs getting some clothes."

Thankfully, La Push was a small place, and by the time I answered her, the truck had already come to a stop in front of my house. Before she had time to say anything else, I hopped out and ran around to get her door.

She nearly fell as she climbed out, but I caught her.

"Sorry, I kind of do that a lot."

"Don't worry about it."

The red house looked like a prison—a place where I'd have to keep secrets from my father and my father and I would be keeping them from Bella. My hand closed into a fist and opened again, still feeling the lingering touch of Bella's hand. Looking at her face, expressionless and distant, I felt a need to bring it back to life, to make it break out into a smile. I missed the girl I had met on the beach. I needed more time with her.

"You want to go for a walk? We can check out the tide pools down at the beach."

"I don't know…"

Involuntarily, my hand reached out for hers, taking hold of it and gently pulling her towards me.

"In there, you'll have to make small talk with my dad and answer his questions." Her expression went from confusion to alarm. "Down at the beach we can walk, look around, and not say a single word."

She looked at me, surprised, nearly shocked. What had I done to make her look at me like that? Was it something good or bad?

"You wouldn't mind if we didn't talk?" She was surprised that I knew what she wanted. Didn't everyone? It wasn't like she was the hardest person to read…or was I the only one who thought so?

"Not one bit."

She gave a subtle nod, almost smiled, clasped her fingers around mine, and took a step forward with me.

_Thank you for reading, and reviews are always appreciated!_

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_I've also recently posted a very short one shot called, Blissful Forever No More. It's a post-Breaking Dawn story told from Edward's point of view; however, it is not a celebration of his relationship with Bella. _


	8. Love, Duty, Friendship

_Thank you **JaspersDestiny**, and all you readers need to thank her too! I finished writing this chapter around noon, sent it to her, and she beta'd it right away! If it weren't for her, this update would not have happened today.  
_

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**Chapter 8—Love, Duty, Friendship**

I finally found a master cylinder for the Rabbit, and my father made good on his promise. Under normal circumstances, the car would have been worked on day and night, but something better came along. _Bella_.

The day she drove me home, when we almost got into the car accident, we spent an hour on the beach together without exchanging a single word. Unlike earlier, it didn't feel awkward. Maybe because I knew she wasn't suffering the way she had back at her house. Sure, she was far from happy, but at least she was _engaged_ now. Her eyes had moved from the coastline to the seagulls flying above and down to the starfish and urchins in the tide pools.

I held her hand on the way there and kept my fingers wrapped around hers. It felt right, and she didn't pull away. Once in a while, when we came upon something unusual crawling around or a hawk flew overhead, I'd feel her fingers squeeze harder with excitement.

The only bad thing about that day was getting back to the house to find Charlie waiting for us. He had gotten one of his deputies to drop him off in La Push and ended up driving home with Bella in the truck. I hid my disappointment while I stood at the edge of the road and watched them drive away.

I smiled and waved at them, but Bella was facing forward. She was seemingly unaware of my lunatic waving until the truck turned the corner and our eyes met. Right before it went behind the cover of the trees, a small, pale hand lifted up and pressed against the glass of the passenger side window. In that fleeing moment, Bella smiled—at me.

The rest of that weekend would have been spent scheming to find reasons to go into Forks, but real life squashed those plans. I had to get back to school, be eased into the pack's patrol schedule, and there were many more things to learn about life as a tribal protector.

As the days passed, my thoughts of Bella slowly became overshadowed by the burden of duty forced upon me, the pressure of living a double life, and the pain of losing my two best friends—Embry and Quil.

It was lucky for me that I hadn't had to spend a long period of time phased with the other guys since I was still "learning", but that changed too. I was still patrolling at the same time as Sam. It sucked having to share my thoughts with him, but at least it wasn't Paul.

After two weeks without any hint of a vampire in the area, Sam decided it was time to lighten the patrols. The two of us were out together at the time when he told me the news.

_Since the leeches are gone, hopefully for good this time, I'm going to ease up on the schedule. You boys need more sleep to keep up with school._

_Sure, Sam._

Since when did school matter to him? Wasn't he the one who had declined a college scholarship?

_My fate doesn't have to be yours, nor should it. I had no choice in the matter, but you, Paul, and Jared do._

_Sorry, didn't mean it that way._

Sam shrugged it off—a very strange thing when it's done mentally in wolf form, by the way—and changed the subject.

_It's a good thing you found Bella that night. Considering the condition she was in, a stranger might have spooked her. _

He was trying to praise me—a way to make up for the anger he unleashed on me a few days afterwards for staying overnight in Forks.

_I'm glad she was found quickly. It was a pretty nasty night. Who knows what might have happened if she were out there much longer…_

The vision of the trembling girl, curled up in the mud and making no effort to stay dry, made me shudder. Up until now, most of my thoughts of Bella had been of the time that followed, on First Beach.

_Hopefully, this means the Cullens won't be coming back. She was the reason they came back the last time. The young male convinced them because _she_ was here._

It bothered me when Sam spoke of Bella that way—as though it were her fault the Cullens were in Forks. They had arrived years before she had, and it wasn't even the first time!

_I don't think you need to worry about them. If there were any indication they'd be coming back, she'd be the first to know. There'd be no reason for her to be a basket case if this was temporary. _

My thoughts drifted to Bella, wondering how she was doing, if there was any improvement in her condition. Sam saw where my thoughts had gone but said nothing about it. It was an unsaid rule of pack etiquette. Even though we all knew nothing was private, we created the pretense of privacy when our thoughts wandered to something personal by refraining from commenting. Well, most of us did—Paul often couldn't help himself.

The other day, Dad had received a phone call from Charlie. It was the only information I had gotten about her condition in nearly two weeks.

"_Billy, you have to help me out here. You raised two teenaged girls on your own. I mean, they had boyfriends, didn't they?"_

"_Sure."_

"_How long did they stay comatose after breaking up?"_

"_Well, I suppose the worst was when Rachel broke up with that boy she met the first week of college, but she wasn't like how you describe Bella," Dad answered carefully. He was trying to be polite, but in reality, he thought Bella was crazy. "Rachel still talked to her friends and went out a lot. In fact, I think that helped her get over him."_

"_Bella doesn't do anything," Charlie replied, sounding disappointed. "It took me a whole week to get her to go back to school. Maybe she hasn't had a chance to make good friends in Forks yet. I mean, she hasn't even been here a year."_

"_I don't know what to tell you, Charlie. Bella seems different from my girls. Have you talked to Renee? She raised her—maybe she's got some insight?"_

"_I'm trying to leave off calling her for now. It'll get her all worked up and worried. Besides, the baseball season's still going."_

"_Well, don't leave it off too long. This is Bella's senior year, and she has to keep her grades up for college."_

"_That's true. Thanks, Billy."_

_Dad hung up and muttered,_ _"Damn leech-lover."_ _I chose to ignore it—after all, under normal circumstances the conversation would have been private since I was in my room with the door closed._

That was a couple of days ago. Right now, it was late Saturday night, and Sam and I were running through quite a large territory. He had taken the eastern border, out past Forks, while I patrolled the coast.

Our conversation, and the memory of Charlie's phone call, too me back to the last day I had spent with Bella. I tried to focus on something else, but the backdrop of my thoughts remained on First Beach, with Bella's fingers in my hand, then strayed to earlier that day at her house when I had spat out the truth about the Cullens.

_You told her! Jacob, you knew how important it was to keep our secret!_

_I didn't tell her about _us_!_

_Your knowledge of _them_ has raised suspicions, enough to take note of and question your display of…_differences_._

_That part wasn't on purpose, and you have to admit I covered pretty well._

_And how about her assumptions for why you know what they are?_

_She thinks the Cullens are a tribal legend come true to me._

_Yes, but what happens once she remembers the rest of the story? You violated the treaty when you revealed the legends to her!_

_How was I supposed to know they were true?_

_You knew it was forbidden to share them with outsiders._

_Come on, you seriously didn't take that warning wholeheartedly before all this—_

_I never told an outsider! _Sam interjected.

_You told Emily!_

_After I phased and imprinted on her!_

_I didn't know that back _then_! All I knew was that some Makah girl was suddenly sitting in on all our tribal rituals and meetings, when my friend Embry wasn't even allowed to come to the bonfires._

_No more, Jacob. I forbid it._

_Yeah, don't worry. I've learned my lesson, and I'll be keeping my mouth shut._

_No, I meant no more speaking to Bella, or visiting her._

Who did he think he was? He wasn't my father!

_You can't tell me what to do!_

_Yes, I can, and I _will_! _Sam's voice roared in my head._ You will not visit Bella, nor will you speak to her about us, ever!_

The weight of his command pushed me to the ground, my muzzle breathing in the moistness of the forest ground. It wasn't fair! For the first time in my life there was a girl who was more than just pretty or nice. I wanted to see Bella all the time, know what she was thinking and feeling, touch her hand, and listen to her voice. Even hearing about her secondhand from Charlie or Dad was thrilling.

_You are _not_ in love with her. _

Sam's painful memories of his breakup with Leah, the injuries incurred on Emily, and his sentence for that crime came to the forefront, diminishing the few moments Bella and I had shared.

_I never said I was! _

Seeing our few moments visualized alongside the pain and absolute need of Sam's relationships filled me with shame.

_It needs to stop before it goes any further! _

Sam's head filled with past conversations, so loud, ringing in echoes, impossible for either of us to ignore. Leah, flinging cruel words through tears, Emily holding the telephone with both hands, weeping, while she allowed her cousin to insult her, and Sam hearing every word but left helpless to act, having been told to stay out of it by his imprint.

_You're not in charge of who I want to fall in love with! _The words were filled with resentment but still sounded like they came from a pouting child.

_And what if you imprint? Will you have her discarded again?_

Sam recalled the night I found Bella in the woods, curled into her own body, lying in the mud, wet and delirious. It hurt. That night she was a girl who had lost her mind over nothing. Now, seeing her suffer caused me pain.

_Stop!_ I screamed. My mind zeroed in on the image of Bella's hand pressed against the window of the truck, soothing the agony caused by her despair. _Imprinting is rare! You said so, and so did the Elders. There have already been two!_

_She weakens you, makes you bring your guard down. It _will_ stop! _Your_ weakness becomes _our_ weakness!_

Sam wasn't playing fair. He had told me that Alpha orders were meant to maintain unity and harmony in the pack, especially during a crisis. _This_ was not a crisis—not to anyone but me.

Words spoken by him on a different day came back to me—words I tossed in his face now.

_I'm supposed to be Alpha, Sam._

_You're not ready yet. _He tried to maintain his composure but was unable to hide his insecurity. Sam knew the truth.

_Who says _you're_ the one to determine when I'm ready?_

I fought with everything I had to raise myself from the mud and to get my nose out of the wet moss.

Neither of us touched the other, but our wolves growled and snarled as our minds fought for dominance. I felt something within me that was larger, stronger than Sam, but it wasn't ready to emerge.

The black wolf was the victor, for now. My loss deflated me, but we both saw a future when things would be different. This hierarchy was temporary. Sam's reign as Alpha was created out of necessity, not by birthright.

Losing my natural, human form seemed inconsequential compared to succumbing to his commands. The question was, given the choice, would I want the alternative? Sam's life was consumed by duty—was this the future I wanted for myself? Was there a choice, or had my heritage stripped me of it?

The struggle, though entirely internal, left me spent. At least Sam was an emotional mess as well, filled with memories of Leah and the knowledge I would one day be giving him orders. He was desperate for privacy.

_Go home, Jacob!_

He gave a harsh growl, phased human, and ran off on two feet, leaving me panting on the forest floor. Even though I was the youngest of three in my family, I had never felt as subordinate as I did now. Rain poured down on me as I struggled to stand, defeated and humiliated.

After two failed attempts, I was finally able to walk on four legs. They took me home, in total disregard to what I wanted them to do. Sam had taken control of my body, as well as my will.

His words rang in my ears as the pain in my legs increased with every effort made to deter their direction.

_Go home, Jacob!_

Fine, he wanted me home, and he'd have it, but he never said anything about phasing back! Since he cared so much about our damn secret, I decided it wasn't going to be a priority for me anymore.

In wolf form, I padded out of the trees and onto our back lot. Unfortunately, it was late, and in La Push, where few lights illuminated our streets, it meant it was pretty damn dark. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. There was no one around to see me.

_How far away is Sam?_ I wondered. It had taken me ten minutes to get home. Of course, I hadn't been running at top speed. With my muzzle raised in the air, I let out a loud howl, hoping that would make someone look outside. Unfortunately, it sounded like any other wolf—not to my ears, or those of the pack, but certainly to anyone else.

_Jacob, get in the house now!_

He was fairly far away, having travelled on two legs, but unfortunately his hearing wasn't impaired. I'd have to find some other opportunity. Bitterly, Sam's other orders rang in my head.

_You will not visit Bella, nor will you speak to her about us, ever!_

Then, the glimmer of a thought occurred. In a rush to hide it from Sam, I phased before the idea could take shape. It was so fast that a light cloud of fur blew around me as I reverted back to human form. As quietly as possible, I obeyed Sam's command and went into the house. Of course, he hadn't told me to _stay_ inside, but it was unclear to me exactly how Alpha orders worked. Could they be _that_ literal?

Inside, I put on a pair of cut-offs, quickly ran Dad's electric shaver over my face and went back out to the main room. I padded silently to the front door—my feet obeying me—turned the handle, and slipped out into the dark night.

It appeared my plan could begin to take shape right away, which was great—the sooner the better. The longer I went without phasing, the more suspicious Sam would become. Hearing the familiar hum of my father's breathing, indicating he was asleep, I ran on two feet to my best friend's house.

* * *

"Come on, Embry, you seriously can_not_ be that heavy a sleeper," I mumbled, tossing increasingly larger bits of gravel at his window.

Finally, the window lifted, and my best friend poked his head out.

"Who the fuck—"

"Keep it down," I whispered harshly. "Don't want your mom to wake up."

"Jake, is that you?" he called, squinting in the darkness. "What are you doing here?"

"I need your help."

"Yeah, right. Why don't you ask Uley or one of your fellow cult members?"

"Because they're who I'm trying to get away from!"

"Bet they kicked you out of their stupid club. Is that why you came crawling back to me in the middle of the night?" Embry sounded bitter, and rightly so.

"Look, I'm really sorry about dissing you and Quil. I wish I could explain it all to you, but I can't."

"You can't, or you won't?"

"Can you come out here so we can have a real conversation, not a whisper-shouting match?"

"Yeah, yeah. Give me a minute."

I waited patiently, shaking my head as Embry made a pit stop in the bathroom.

"Okay, so what's so horrible you had to come to your discarded friend for help?" Embry asked resentfully.

"You weren't 'discarded'—it wasn't personal."

"That's right, dropping your friends without giving a reason can _never_ be personal." Every word he uttered dripped with sarcasm.

"Sorry about the way I treated you," I replied, knowing the apology was long overdue.

"And Quil."

"He's not here!" Why couldn't he simply accept my apology so we could get on with my plan?

"So? I can relay messages. Unlike you, _I_ still talk to him!"

"Fine, I'm sorry for the way I treated you _and_ Quil."

"And the reason for this ill treatment was…?"

"I can't tell you."

"What, we're not even worthy of a well thought out lie?"

"You're worth more than a lie."

"Then spill."

What was I supposed to say? I couldn't ask for a favor while refusing to answer his questions.

"There was this…Quileute thing going on, and Dad insisted I hang out with Sam and his 'boys'," I began hesitantly. Hopefully, this sounded more convincing to him than it did to me. Embry raised an eyebrow, signaling doubt. I should have chosen Quil—Embry was quicker, and he wasn't Quileute, both of which made swallowing the story difficult. "Look, you know how you were never allowed to go to those tribal bonfires and crap?"

"Yeah." Embry nodded.

"Well, our tribe has these secret legends, and those of us within particular bloodlines are supposed to be special. I'm one of them, and so are Sam, Paul, and Jared. Their 'gang' is related to these legends."

"You _do_ realize I'm Native American, too, even if I'm not Quileute, right?"

"Yeah…" Where was Embry going with this?

"Then stop shitting me! This isn't the nineteenth century! Who the fuck believes that sort of crap anymore? Even your dad isn't old enough to think ancient legends are true!"

Yep, should have definitely chosen Quil.

"You can choose to believe me or not, but I need your help."

"Why should I help _you_?"

"Because you're my best friend, and I can't do this on my own."

"You mean _was_ your best friend. And why _can't_ you do whatever this is on your own? Don't see what I can do if it's a Quileute thing…"

"The reason I can't do this on my own is because Sam…er…ordered me not to."

Embry's face scrunched up with anger. That was exactly what he needed to hear.

"Since when do you let anyone give you orders? Does your dad know Uley's telling you what you can and cannot do?"

"You know my dad worships the ground he walks on—the whole council does!"

"That doesn't explain why you're listening to Sam. What are you trying to do, anyway—rob a bank?"

"No, nothing illegal—just something I can't do on my own. The only way around it might be to follow along with someone else who happens to be doing what I wanted to do in the first place."

"You're not making any sense."

"I know." It was frustrating talking in circles, but there _had_ to be a way. Obviously, Alpha orders were literal, thus the reason I was able to leave my house. Thing was, my time was limited. It wouldn't be long before I'd be expected to phase again, and there was no way to keep _this_ off my mind. "Okay, I'm going to try this a different way. The thing Sam won't let me do is visit Bella."

"Bella? Bella who? Do I know her?" That's right—Embry had never met her.

"Bella Swan, Charlie's kid," I answered. "She moved here from Phoenix in January."

"Oh, the chick you sold the truck to!" He had a good memory.

"Yeah, her."

"How come Sam doesn't want you visiting her, and why would you? I didn't think you knew her well. Isn't she a senior?" Embry eyed me suspiciously. No matter how long I lived I'd kick myself every day for not having chosen Quil. He would have high-fived me for making moves on a senior and forgotten everything else. Not Embry, though; he needed to know who, what, where, when, and most importantly, why.

"We kind of, sort of, started seeing each other." Skeptically, Embry raised an eyebrow again. "Okay, not really, but she invited me to her birthday party a couple of weeks ago and we spent an entire day together after that. Her boyfriend broke up with her recently, and she's pretty upset about it. In fact, she ran away from home when it happened." It was amazing how easy it was to tell the truth, even if it wasn't in its entirety. "I helped Charlie search for her." It would seem too unrealistic if I told him I had found her on my own. "I don't think she has anyone to talk to, and I want to make sure she's all right."

"Yeah…I'm sure that's what it is. Bet she's hot." Whatever else he was thinking, Embry was buying it.

"She's not a dog." I got an exaggerated eye roll from my friend.

"Still doesn't explain why Sam doesn't want you to see her." I shrugged, not knowing how to answer that one. "Okay, so you need a ride there or something?"

"I can't ask anyone to take me there."

"But you _want_ to see her?" I nodded. "Do you need me to _tell_ you to go to Forks?" Even if he didn't understand all the details, he was getting it. I shook my head, pleading with my eyes. "Do you want me to _take_ you there?"

"I told you, I can't ask you…" My voice trailed off, unsure what to say.

"Would you like to come with me while I–"

I clapped a hand over his mouth before he said too much.

"I also can't agree to go with you while _you_ visit her." I gave him a knowing look.

Embry tore my hand away from his face and scowled.

"Fine!" he grumbled. "Let's try _this_. I'm going…_somewhere_. You want to come with me?" _This_ was why I had chosen Embry. I knew he'd figure out just enough to help me out. Plus, his grandfather wasn't on the council like Quil's was, so there wasn't any conflict in his defying Sam.

"Sure, sounds great!" I was all smiles. "Are you leaving right now?"

Embry gave me a curious look, like I had gone crazy.

"You mean right now, at eleven forty-five?" He asked.

"Yeah, guess that's what time it is… I don't have a watch."

Embry eyed me up and down. I became very conscious of the fact that I was in nothing but cut-offs and it was close to October in La Push. "Okay… You _do_ realize we'll be on my dirt bike, which isn't street legal."

"Hey, like you said, it's late at night. Who'd be out on the roads other than the odd trucker? Besides, we can stay close to the shoulder, right?"

"Guess so… Do you want a shirt or something? Maybe some shoes?"

"Sure, sure, I'd appreciate it."

"Hang on, I'll be right back."

"Hey, Embry… This isn't going to get you in shit with your mom, is it?"

"Nah, she got home late and won't be working tomorrow. As long as I'm home before the sun rises, I'll be fine."

"Okay, good."

"I _will_ be home before daylight, right?"

"Hey, you're the one going for a ride. I'm only tagging along, remember?"

Embry rolled his eyes at me and wandered away towards the house as he muttered under his breath, "Last time I do _you_a favor, smart-ass."

I smiled—not just because I was going to get what I wanted but also because our friendship had been mended.

* * *

_Perhaps some of you have noticed that this story is not quite updating at the same pace as my other stories have. I have no conclusive explanation for this. Sure, the summer's been busy with my children at home, and I was away on vacation up until yesterday, but it's more than that. All I'm sure of is that I'm trying my best. Hopefully, the fall will bring with it the same enthusiasm for writing I had last year at that time._

_Oh yeah, my fondness for reviews has not changed :)_


	9. Ruin

_Well, here it is, finally—Chapter 9! I hope you enjoy it._

_Thank you, **Jasper's Destiny** for being my beta, correcting my errors, providing entertaining commentary, and I hope the untimely arrival of this chapter into your inbox didn't put a kink in your weekend! _

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Ruin **

"Seriously, dude, it's past midnight, and her dad's a cop!"

I ignored Embry's whispered pleas and kept throwing gravel at the window. This was no good. It probably didn't sound any different from rain pattering on glass. The only other option was to climb up the tree in front of her bedroom and tap on the glass.

"I'm going up that tree to her window."

"Isn't that illegal?"

"Why would it be illegal? I'm not breaking in."

"Because you'd be peeping into a chick's room! What if she's naked? Do I have to remind you—again—that her father's a cop?"

"She doesn't strike me as a sleeping-in-the-nude type of girl, and I'm not going up there to leer!" Of course, now that Embry mentioned it, I _did_ feel creepy about invading her privacy.

"Can't we wait until morning?"

"No, we can't wait until morning. Sam's going to start looking for me, and this has to be done before then."

"I still don't understand what the hell 'this' is."

"Keep it down!" I hissed before jumping to grab hold of the lowest branch.

Embry stifled a giggle as I landed flat on my ass. It was as though a force field was preventing me from getting closer. The Alpha order wasn't allowing _me_ to visit her, but perhaps someone _else_ could…

"Why the hell are you smiling at me like that?" Embry asked suspiciously. "Whatever you're thinking, the answer's no!"

"You can't say no without hearing what it is."

"Yes, I can, and I just did!"

"Please, Embry. I'll do _anything_ for you, anything!" The old cliché was true. Once you weren't allowed to have something, it only made you want it more.

"I'll listen to what you have to say, but no promises," he grumbled.

Would Sam's orders allow me to tell Embry? Maybe if I wasn't too specific…

"I'm going to sit here and wait while you do your thing." I sat down on the lawn and pointed up at Bella's window.

"Are we back to the damn guessing game again? I was right, Uley _does_ brainwash you guys!" Embry rolled his eyes and let out a loud sigh. "Am I to assume you won't be answering my questions?"

I nodded.

After releasing a barrage of expletives under his breath, Embry jumped, grabbed the branch, and started climbing.

"Hey, Em?"

"I'm trying to concentrate here."

"How come you're doing all this for me without knowing what it's about?"

"Because it means you're trying to get rid of Sam—and we're friends, right?"

"Yeah, friends. You think Sam's _that_ bad?"

"Didn't think so until tonight. I have _no_ idea what kind of shit Sam and his crew are up to, but if it makes you sit still and keep your mouth shut then it's got to be some pretty nasty shit."

Embry was like family. Would a flesh and blood brother trust me blindly and help me like he was?

He got to the top and hissed down at me, "What now?"

"Hey, this is your show, remember?" I replied, helpless to do more.

Shaking his head, he maneuvered himself closer and tapped lightly on Bella's window.

"Edward?" she whispered barely audibly, even for me.

She thought Edward was at the window? Wouldn't she be more apt to assume it was a branch blown in from the wind? Unless he'd done this before…

Two more taps now.

"Is that you, Edward?" Her voice sounded a little closer. "I've left the window unlocked for you, just in case."

This was how they saw each other, him sneaking into in bedroom at night! The guy was rich; couldn't he take her out like a normal person? What did they do together _in her bedroom_? I couldn't imagine a human and a leech…not without it killing her…

A quiet squeak came from the window. Embry grabbed the largest branch with an arm and leg and inched closer. Bella's window opened, and she peered out, her head extended outside. It took her eyes a couple of seconds to adjust to the darkness, but once she did, her mouth opened in surprise. I braced myself for the inevitable scream, but Embry clapped his hand over her mouth before anything escaped.

"I'm Jacob Black's friend, and I mean you no harm!"

What the hell? He sounded like someone out of Star Trek!

Bella's racing heart slowed and her eyes darted around, looking for me. Stepping into the moonlight, I looked up and waved. A quiet sigh of relief escaped her lips as her eyes met mine.

My face froze in a forced smile as I thought about her warm, moist breath against Embry's hand.

"Get your hand off her mouth, man! She's calm now!"

Embry gave me a harsh glare before removing his hand from Bella's face. "Ungrateful turd," he muttered under his breath.

"What…why…I don't understand," she stammered.

"Can you come outside to talk?" Embry asked without needing prompting from me.

Her eyes darted from him, to me, then inside—behind her. "Um…I don't know…I mean, what's this about?" Funny, she didn't comment on the late hour.

"To be honest, I don't know," Embry answered, pointing down at me. "The imbecile with the stupid grin down there's the only one who knows."

Self-consciously, my face turned away from the window. Was it necessary for him to make me look like an idiot?

"Oh, Jacob…" I felt her eyes sear into me. All the questions I had avoided, or given partial answers to, flooded back. If nothing else, perhaps her curiosity would bring her to me. "Give me a minute and I'll meet you in the backyard."

Embry climbed down, jumped off the last branch, and landed on his feet like a cat. His hand reached out and slapped me on the back.

"Okay, chief, it's all yours. You want me to go for a walk?" While privacy was nice, it was possible he'd be needed again.

"Do you mind sticking around?"

"Uh…no, but really? Why?"

"Sam also ordered me not to say certain things to her, and maybe if you stay, I can find a way to work around that."

"Are we back to this 'ordering' shit again? Jeez, Sam really did a number on you!" He rolled his eyes and walked around the house to the back yard. I followed, the whole time listening to each methodical step Bella took coming down the stairs. She moved slower than anyone else I knew, and I lived with a guy in a wheelchair!

After an eternity of waiting, Bella finally made her appearance in the backyard. She looked bad. Her hair looked like it hadn't been washed since the last time I'd seen her, her clothes were wrinkled and stained, and she had dark circles under her eyes. Even her lips were chapped and cracking. In Washington's wet autumn climate, having cracked, chapped lips was no easy feat.

"Hey," I said, nodding toward her.

"Hey? That's all you have to say?"

"Sorry." I wasn't expecting anger—considering she looked like she had just escaped from a psych ward somewhere.

"This was _your_ fault, wasn't it?" she said accusingly. What was she blaming _me_ for? The last time we had seen each other, things were…friendly.

"What did I do?"

"You're the only one who _knew_!" She looked over at Embry and then lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. "You acted like you cared, like you wanted to _help_ me, but you caused all this! There's no other explanation!"

"Caused what?"

"Caused them to leave! How did you know? What did you do? Did you threaten to reveal their secret?"

"What the hell are the two of you talking about?" Embry asked.

"She's doing all the talking, dude, not me." Perhaps I had made a mistake in asking him to stay.

"I'm right! You can't even deny it!"

"I didn't threaten anyone _or_ reveal their secrets. They left because—" A vice tightened around my throat, cutting my sentence short. Instead, _his_ words filled my mind.

_Nor will you speak to her about us, ever._

"You never really explained how you knew, or…or _anything_!" Tears streamed down Bella's cheeks, and Embry looked away in discomfort. "He was my whole life, and she was my best friend! I have no one now, no one!"

"I'm sorry," I replied uselessly. She looked down at her fidgeting hands, reaching up to wipe at her face. "I can be your friend." My voice was quiet, and my eyes were unable to meet hers. "I'm sorry I can't explain it all to you, but I can listen—or just be there, silently."

"Why can't you explain it? That's all I want, an explanation, any reason other than the one that swims around in my head!" She grabbed her hair with both hands, pulling at it. "Please, I _need_ to know why—that maybe it wasn't all me, that I might be worth _something_." Bella fell to her knees and her body slumped forward, her hands still pulling at her hair.

I reached to lift her up and hold her in my arms, but she twisted, resisting my touch. My heart stopped. Saddened, and near tears myself, I took a step back.

"Hey, don't take it personally," Embry said to her, coming closer. "He's been secretive and weird with me too, and _we've_ known each other forever."

Confused, Bella looked up from her weeping to see who had spoken.

"Who…?" She had forgotten Embry was here at all.

"Embry Call, longtime friend of Jacob Black. You know, the total douche and absolute idiot over there." He held a hand out for her to shake. She stared at it as though she was unsure what was expected of her.

If only I were able to talk freely like Embry could… Wait, maybe I could!

What had Sam said?

_Nor will you speak to __**her**__ about us, ever._

He never mentioned Embry!

"Embry?" He turned and looked at me. "They left because—" It wasn't working, but why? Of course, she was within earshot. I leaned in and whispered in his ear, "They left because their presence was making bad things happen to some of us."

"Oh, nice to know…" I jabbed him in the ribs and pointed to Bella. "Oh…" He turned to address her. "They left because bad shit was happening to people. No idea what _that's_ all about." The translation left something to be desired, but he got the gist of it.

"I don't understand. None of them fee… I mean, they would never hurt anyone. How were people being hurt?"

"You're asking _me_?" Embry replied. "I don't even know who we're talking about!"

Again, I whispered into his ear. "It wasn't because of you. You're worth more than a thousand of him!"

"I am _so_ not saying that!" Embry gestured, pointing to himself. "This is not a televised soap opera!"

"Just d—" Jesus! I wasn't even allowed to tell Embry to say things on my behalf? "Please?"

I received a sneer for my efforts, but he said to Bella, "Er…yeah. These are his words, not mine." Using air quotes, he paraphrased. "It's got nothing to do with you. Lame-ass over here thinks you're better than him—whoever _him_ is—like, a lot better."

I kicked him in the shins.

"Shit! That hurt, asshole! You want my help or not?"

"Sorry."

"I don't understand why you can't tell me yourself, Jacob," Bella said.

"Because there are secrets I'm not allowed to tell." I gave her a knowing look.

"Oh." At least _that_ was clear. "And you didn't reveal…theirs?"

"No…" _Not intentionally_—I could hardly be blamed for practically phasing in front of them.

"Why are you here?" she asked, looking up at the sky—as though she had only now noticed it was dark. "It's night…late."

"I wanted to see how you were doing. Your dad called my dad and said you were in a bad way."

"You cared about how I was doing? But, we hardly know each other."

"We've known each other since we were kids."

"That's not the same."

"We've spent enough time together to make me care."

"Okay…" Embry interjected. "This is my cue to scram. Look, Jake, I'll meet you on the sidewalk over by the bike once you're done." I nodded and Embry walked away.

"You were doing all right a couple of weeks ago, when we were on the beach. How come things didn't get better?"

"I…I don't know. It seemed bearable that day, but when I got home, everything went back to how it was before."

"Before what?"

"I don't know. Before the beach, I guess."

"How do you feel right now?"

"It still hurts, but a little less. This conversation is the most I've said to anyone in weeks."

_I_ made her feel better—that just had to be it!

"That's good—I mean, it's good that it's better."

"Well, you saw me and I'm alive, so I guess you'll be going now."

Would I be able to ask? Sam said I couldn't _visit_ her, or tell her about us, but nothing about _asking_…

"Do you think you'd like to hang out with me sometime…you know, since it seems to help keep your mind off…things?" She bit her lower lip. "It'll be the same as the day at the beach. You don't have to say anything unless you want to."

"I don't like doing things."

"You don't have to do anything either." She was hesitant. No, she was afraid. "Charlie's getting worried about you, and I heard my dad tell him you should be going out with friends." Okay, that part was an exaggeration, but it was for a good cause. "I bet he'd get off your back and stop worrying if we hung out. And I _know_, right? You won't have to answer any awkward questions, or _any_ questions for that matter."

Warm, moist breath blew onto my neck. Bella had been holding her breath and now exhaled.

"Are you busy tomorrow?" she asked tentatively. "It's Sunday, right—no school?"

"Tomorrow's good."

"What should we do?"

"Anything you'd like." It was the wrong thing to say. Her face was stricken with panic. "We can hang out in my garage," I added hurriedly. "I'm fixing up the Rabbit." _Great, Jake—you really know how to show a girl a good time! Hang out in my garage… Talk about lame._

"Would I have to help?"

"Only if you want to." How the hell was I going to make this sound worthwhile? "I can check the truck. Maybe you need an oil change or tune up."

"You don't have to…"

"I don't mind. Do you remember where I live?"

"I can ask Charlie. What…what time?" If she knew that my heart was almost jumping out of my chest, maybe she wouldn't sound so scared.

"How about after you're done with breakfast?"

"Okay, tomorrow after breakfast… See you around nine?" Man, she got up early on Sundays!

"Sure, sure." Bella stared at me, not making a move to go into the house. I didn't know what to do, so I said, "You're probably tired now." She _did_ look like she hadn't slept in days.

"Yeah, guess I should try to get some sleep."

"Er…okay, see you tomorrow." Taking a couple of steps back, I waved and then walked away to meet Embry.

* * *

There was a time when I used to give Quil flack for bending over backwards on account of a girl. That was now a thing of the past.

Not only did it take me an hour to fall asleep that night, but I was up before the sun rose. This was a good thing because it took me twenty minutes to find something decent to wear that still fit. Somehow, I had managed to grow an inch and gain ten pounds in the span of two weeks, which was probably a wolf thing.

After breakfast, brushing my teeth and flossing—twice—I made my way to the garage. It was a mess, and cleaning it would take some time.

Even though I began tidying as the sun rose, nine o'clock came faster than anticipated. Of all the things that had gotten better after phasing, keeping track of time was not one of them.

"You look busy."

Startled, I jumped and turned. Bella stood in the doorway looking like a frightened mouse.

"Nope, not at all. I was just clearing off a spot so you'd have a place to sit."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be any trouble."

"Nah, no trouble. I just got up a little while ago." Lies, of course. It was a good thing I didn't believe in hell. "You want me to take a look at the truck first?" I asked.

"I don't know. What were you doing before I arrived?"

"Working on the Rabbit." Somehow, admitting I was getting the garage prepared for her sounded too pathetic.

"How about you show me what this master thing is…" So, she remembered. "You know, the one you earned last spring—or has it already been installed?"

"Come over here." I motioned her over with my hand, and she took small steps toward the car. We both leaned in under the hood, and I showed her everything I had done up to this point—which wasn't much, but she seemed interested nonetheless.

After, I changed the oil in the truck—it didn't need changing, but she wouldn't know—while she handed me tools and things. It was fun to see what she'd end up picking up based on my descriptions.

Overall, the morning was comfortable.

She didn't say much, but that was okay. When I spoke to her, sometimes she'd nod and other times her face would scrunch up in thought. Most of the time, she just listened. Once, I might have seen her eyes light up with a hint of happiness.

That's not to say the morning was perfect. She still spent a good deal of time looking out into space, and there were a few triggers that made her wrap her arms around herself like I'd seen her do before. One of those triggers was music.

The first time I noticed, I turned the radio off without remarking on it. At the time, I assumed it was the particular song, but later, she was curled up again, holding herself with her arms. It seemed odd to me because there was nothing on. That's when I realized I had been humming. Yep, it was definitely not a particular song. I had been humming a barely recognizable version of something my mom used to sing to me as a kid.

"Do you remember the day you drove me here in my truck?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"You remember how we swerved?"

_Almost got killed?_ I thought, but I said, "Yeah," instead.

"Do you remember if the radio was on?"

"It wasn't on."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm _very_ sure." There was no way I would have missed her reaction to music had it been on. She looked both disappointed and worried at my response.

"Do you think we could do something else, Jacob?" she asked.

"Sure. Want to go to the beach like last time?"

"No, unless that's what _you_ want to do."

"Nah, I see that place every day. What were you thinking?"

"Um…hiking?"

I looked down at her tennis shoes and decided it was a bad idea, but how was I supposed to tell a girl on the verge of breaking into a million pieces that her shoes were shitty, especially when I was wearing flip-flops?

"Okay…let me go get water bottles and granola bars. There's a good trail I know of—not too tough but scenic."

"Actually, I already have a place in mind." Well, that was surprising. I would never have guessed she'd been on a hike in her life. After all, the girl _had_ gotten lost less than a mile from her own home!

"Sure, sure. I'll grab a compass and map while I'm at it." Again, my eyes drifted down to her shoes. "Hey, what shoe size are you?"

"Uh, six, why?"

"There's a pair of hiking boots in the house that belonged to one of my sisters. It might be a good idea to have decent shoes for rough terrain."

"They wear the same size shoes as me? I remember them being pretty tall for their age."

They were tall, but she hadn't seen them in years. "Everyone looks taller than they are when you're a kid." In reality, the boots in question were from when Rebecca was in junior high. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

I ran into the house and started searching like a madman. It only took a few minutes to gather everything, but I still ran back to the garage, remembering to slow to a normal pace a few feet from the doorway. I wasn't so far gone that I was willing to make a _complete_ fool of myself.

Thankfully, the boots fit perfectly, and we drove in Bella's truck to the spot she had in mind. It didn't take too long to get there, but it was an unusual area and one that I wasn't familiar with. There was a trail, overgrown from lack of use, but Bella didn't want to use it.

"How come you don't want to go on the trail?" I asked.

"There's a place I really want to see again. Up there, somewhere is a meadow." She pointed uphill, into the forest. It must have been a place she went to with _him_.

"Are you sure you remember where it is?" He would have probably carried her or something.

"Kind of…but I need to know if—" She cut herself off without completing the sentence. "I really want to find it."

"Sure, sure, no problem." I took out the compass and map from the backpack and was about to ask her where she thought it might be but decided against it. She had started walking slowly into the brush, touching a tree here, another there, and inspecting branches and leaves as though they held clues to what she was searching for. I doubted she had any idea where this meadow was.

Luckily, my map was a topographical one, and I proceeded to scrutinize it for any flat area close by. There was one, but it was small and further than I wanted to go with her in this condition. Thing was, I got the feeling she might do something stupid, like come out here on her own, if we didn't find it together.

"Okay, why don't we start with this grid here…" I pulled her gently towards me and pointed to the map. "I think I see something that could potentially be a meadow."

She didn't answer. Instead, she walked away. I ran after her, redirecting her in the right direction, and we set off on our hike.

Within the first ten minutes into our trek, Bella lost her footing, nearly falling on her face, no less than five times. I caught her after each stumble, steadying her, then letting her go, but after the fifth time, I wrapped my hand around hers and kept it there. She didn't seem to mind, and our pace quickened significantly.

"Are you sure it's this way?" she asked yet again. "I don't remember it being so far."

_Yeah, travelling via vampire can make distances seem shorter,_ I thought. "It's the only flat spot in this area," I answered instead. I let go of her hand, taking the map out to show her, but when I looked up again, she had walked away.

"Bells?" I called, catching up to her. "We're doing this grid—over to the east."

She stopped and looked back at me.

"I think it's this way," she replied, pointing in the other direction. "Can we try?"

"Sure, sure." What did it matter? Maybe if today was a bust, we could do this again soon.

The more we walked, the less the terrain matched what was on the map. There were inclines far steeper than indicated, and some peaks were missing altogether. I was going to call it quits when a fresh breeze came in from a colonnade of trees. The forest here should have been dense enough to prevent any breeze from getting in, short of a storm. I grabbed Bella's arm, jerked my head in the direction of the wind, and we made our way past the row of Sitkas.

Amazingly, there was a meadow. It wasn't big, but it was definitely a flat patch of land large enough for the sun to stream in, completely clear of the canopy of trees. I kept looking down at the map as though it would change if I stared at it long enough. How could it be so wrong?

In the spring and early summer the meadow was probably filled with wild flowers, but it was the end of September and the blossoms had disappeared. There were a few wilted remnants, brown and in various stages of decay. The ground was green from the rain but consisted mostly of huge, prickly weeds. The long, soft grass, which once covered it, had been overrun by heartier invaders that came complete with tiny thorns.

The clearing smelled musty, of rotting plants and stagnant rainwater. Bella stepped forward and bent down to pick a flower. It was drooping, but it was the only one not yet brown. As she did so, her hand brushed against the prickles of a tall weed, and she pulled back quickly.

With my foot, I moved the offending plant to one side and flattened it with my boot. The flower snapped off with ease, and I gave it to Bella.

She looked down at it, disappointed. Without a word, she walked away, not touching it.

"Looks like the flowers are gone until spring," I commented.

Bella didn't stop or reply. She sniffled as she walked, her hands reaching up to wipe her face. Finally, she took a deep breath and whispered, "They're never coming back." Somehow, I didn't think she meant the flowers. "Let's leave, Jake."

"Sure…but I thought—"

"Everything's dead! It was always dead!" she shouted before running into the cover of the forest.

* * *

_Thanks everyone for hanging in there and following this story! I hope you've been enjoying it, and as always, reviews are much appreciated._

_I'd also like to extend my gratitude to those who nominated me for the Emerging Swan awards! To be honest, I haven't really been paying much attention to these, but you bet I'll be following them now! My story, Ascent from Darkness, has been nominated for best completed full-length story, and I've been nominated for Oldie but Goodie Author! Of course, it feels a little odd for me to be considered an "oldie" author. Not from a age point of view, but from an experience one. I suppose I have passed the one year mark, so there you go!_

_Voting for these categories will begin on September 12th at:_

esurveyspro [dotcom] [slash] Survey. aspx?id=219e1b90-4526-4c9a-9f1e-372cae504f1b


	10. Will Either of Us Ever Have a Boring

_I know, I know, it's been a long time. I've been on hiatus for numerous reasons. It was unanticipated and lasted longer than intended, but I'm back. I won't be spending quite as much time on fanfiction as I had over the past year and a bit because that was just an unreasonable amount of time! What can I say? Some of the initial ardor that often comes with a new passion has faded. In any case, here is Chapter 10, at long last._

_Before we get started, I must first thank my beta, **JaspersDestiny**, who was, and is, still around to beta for me even though I dropped off the face of the fandom world without notice._

_Next, a short recap: Last time we were in Jacob's head, he had been Alpha ordered by Sam, disabling him from visiting Bella, or speaking to her about the pack. This really put a kink in Jacob's plan; however, being the clever boy that he is, he found a way around it. With Embry's help, he got to Bella's house late at night and had a conversation with her, using Embry as a "telephone" so to speak. __We left off with Jacob happy as can be, Embry suspicious and confused, and a date where Jacob and Bella went for a hike and came upon a familiar meadow... _

* * *

**Chapter 10 – Will Either of Us Ever Have a Boring Birthday?**

"I think this is even better than your lasagna!"

"You told me nothing tasted better than my lasagna. Not even cake."

"Well, I was wrong."

"Guess I'll add five more years to my age."

"It's only one thing—totally not worth five years."

"You just said it was better than a _pasta_ dish that beat out chocolate cake!"

"Fine, take your five years. I'm still at thirty-six, and five more will only take you to thirty-four."

"Shhh!" someone whispered harshly from behind us.

"Sorry," I whispered back, just as the two of us broke out in muffled laughter.

"What do you call these again?" I asked quietly.

"Empanadas."

"Well, thanks for making them."

"No problem. I wouldn't want you to go broke buying out the snack stand." The theater was dark, but I still saw the eye roll, along with the smile. "Besides, you wouldn't let me get you anything for your birthday. This was all I could think of!"

_I never got you anything for yours_. It was an unsaid rule of ours—anything that happened _before_ was never to be mentioned.

"Do you think we'll get caught?" She looked around worriedly.

"For what?"

"Sneaking food into the theater!" she answered.

"I'm pretty sure it isn't a felony. Besides, won't Charlie get us off?"

"This isn't his jurisdiction." Obviously, the sarcasm was lost on her.

"Don't sweat it, I'll take the blame. I'm still a minor." She giggled while I scowled. The last thing I needed was to remind her I was younger. It was one of the many excuses she made to herself whenever the line between friendship and something more became blurred.

Almost four months ago, following that day in the meadow, Bella had turned a new leaf, according to Charlie. From that point forward, she made an effort to live, but as hard as she tried, there was always something missing. Bella went to school, did her homework, hung out with me, and worked at Newton's, but it was forced.

The first time the new and desperately-wanting-to-improve Bella came to visit me in La Push was after school on Halloween. I was in the garage tinkering with the Rabbit when a waft of strawberry scented shampoo swept in.

"_Hey." _

_My first thought was, _Wow, she spoke first!

"_Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked, looking up from my work._

"_It's Halloween."_

"_Yeah, I know. If you're here trick-or-treating, you're kind of early."_

"_Charlie's working late tonight, and I don't want to be at home when kids dressed up as…_you know_…come around."_

At the time, it struck me as odd that she spoke to me so openly about _them_. I took it as a good sign.

"_Maybe I can hang out here?"_

I didn't answer right away.

"You have plans, don't you? Wow, this is really embarrassing." She bowed her head and shuffled her feet.

"_No! I don't have plans."_

"_You're just saying that."_

"_Stay here and you'll and see. No one's going to come around. Seriously." I was still on house arrest with Sam for disobedience, so it was actually true._

"_Okay," she answered hesitantly. _

_I returned to my work, in an attempt to show her she wasn't in my way, when I felt her come closer. Her breath warmed the back of my neck as she leaned forward, trying to get a look at what I was doing. _

"_Maybe I can help?" she asked._

_I wanted to say yes, but she didn't strike me as overly handy. Looking around desperately, my eyes zeroed in on the car seat sitting on the garage floor. _

"_Can you sew?"_

"_I know _how_ to sew, but I can't make anything useful."_

"_That's fine. Do you think you can sew the tears in the seat upholstery? I've got a sewing kit with upholstery needles and stuff."_

"_Sure, I can give it a try."_

"_Try" was exactly what she did. Unfortunately, the result was not a success. It took her a long time to thread the needle, and then she went through some complicated ordeal to tie a knot at the end of it. Not wanting to make her feel self-conscious, I pretended not to notice, trying to concentrate on my own tasks. _

_Things began to look up once she got started, and one tear actually got mended nicely until I heard her scream._

_The myth about redheads being bleeders had to be false because there was no way _anyone_ could bleed as easily as Bella. Blood covered her index finger and dripped from her wrist. I thought she might have lost a finger until I realized the only thing in her hand was a sewing needle._

_I grabbed some paper towels and ran to her side, wiping her finger before applying pressure to the wound._

"_Sorry," she said quietly._

"_You're allowed to bleed here, Bella."_

_She looked away from me, staring down at the paper towel held to her finger. An eternity of silence passed before I whispered, "Sorry."_

_Bella shrugged, the look of horror fading from her face._

_Once the bleeding stopped, I put a bandage on the cut, and we returned to our work._

_When she had shown up, I had expected questions, things I hadn't been prepared for, answers she had never received, but none came. The two of us continued on in silence until the moon rose, and she left as unceremoniously as she had arrived._

"_It's time for me to get back," she announced. "This was good. Thanks for letting me stay."_

"_Sure, sure, no problem."_

"_Hope you didn't get behind in your homework because of me." _

_I was behind all right, but it had nothing to do with her._

"_Nothing I can't handle." I lied._

"_If you want, maybe we can do homework together sometime—so Billy won't get upset about me visiting."_

"_Sounds cool. How about tomorrow?" _

"_Okay. Same time?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_See you."_

"_Yeah, see you."_

_I stood at the edge of our property, and watched her truck drive away, thankful I had dragged Embry to visit her that night a month ago. Before she came to visit, I had often wondered if what I did last month was the right thing, but it turned out well for both Sam and me. Who would have thought?_

The day following that visit to Bella's, with Embry in tow, went as planned. Bella and I went on our hike, and then I returned home for a quiet dinner with Dad and hit the sack early.

It wasn't until Monday that I was forced to face the consequences of my actions.

That morning, I arrived at school early and had just made it across the parking lot when Paul and Jared confronted me.

"_Who the fuck do you think you are, Black?" Paul shouted, pushing me. "You're fucking around with our lives too!"_

"_Don't touch me!" I yelled, confused._ How had they found out? _I wondered. I hadn't phased all weekend. That's when I caught sight of Quil and Embry walking over to me. Paul grabbed me by the arm, his face close to mine. Jared stood beside him, his arms crossed in front of him. _

_I looked Embry in the eye and shook my head subtly. Jared noticed and followed my gaze._

"_Paul, let go of him. You're creating a scene," Jared barked, prying Paul's hand off me._

_Embry took a step back, pulling on Quil's arm to keep him from getting involved._

"_Piss off, Em!" I heard Quil hiss. "Lahote doesn't scare me." _

"_Come on, man. Jake can take care of himself."_

"_It's not a fair fight. There're two of them."_

"_Look, Paul's backing off. We can keep an eye on them from over there." Embry guided Quil away, but he kept glancing over his shoulder every few steps._

"_So, seriously, Embry, Jake actually said that Sam gave him _orders_?" Quil asked as they walked away._

That_ was how they found out! Sure, Embry had no idea that Paul and Jared could hear everything they said, but still, did he have to tell Quil _everything_?_

"_Does Sam know?" I asked Paul and Jared._

"_We only found out two minutes ago, but you bet your ass he's going to know real soon!" Paul spat._

"_I didn't tell anyone our secret."_

"_What_ did _you tell them, Black?" Jared asked suspiciously. "Embry seems to know about orders and shit." _

"_He has no idea there's any mystical voodoo involved, all right?"_

"_You stupid turd! If you were going to spout your big mouth to one of your little friends, couldn't you have picked Quil? At least he's Quileute. Shit, he'll probably end up in the pack soon anyway." _

_I did a double take, looked over at Quil, back at Paul and Jared, and noticed they were all big for their age. Sure, so was I, but not like them. Of course, Quil worked out a lot, and both his dad and granddad were big men…but still. My eyes remained on Quil, examining him more closely. He had put on quite a bit of bulk in the last month. Even with all the working out, it was a lot of weight, and I was pretty sure he wasn't taking steroids._

"_Is that what happens—you get big first? But what about me?" I was tall, but still fairly slim._

_Paul shrugged. "You would've, too, if it hadn't been accelerated by being in that house when the leech attacked. At least that's what the council thinks."_

"_But the Ateara men are all big like that…" But had they been as big as Quil when they were fifteen?_

"_Quil's a direct descendent of the last pack. His bloodline's too strong to be ignored."_

"_But there's no catalyst. I mean, the Cullens are gone now, right?"_

"_Both of us phased_ after _the Cullens left. Heck, Paul here phased last winter, more than a month after they left."_

_Greif overwhelmed me. Quil would end up with the same screwed up life I had, and Embry would be alone, abandoned by his best friends. How was any of this good for the tribe?_

"_You think you're above the rules, don't you?" Paul said accusingly._

"_I'm all for rules, when they apply to_ all _of us! I don't recall Sam ordering any of_ you _to stay away from_ your _friends!"_

"_She's not your friend!"_

"_Come on, Paul, let Sam take care of this." Jared pulled on his arm, and the two of them went inside._

_I waited a few minutes before going in myself, thinking that was the end of it for today, until I saw Sam waiting out front for me when school let out. _

"_Dad's expecting me at home," I said curtly, moving past him without making eye contact._

"_He knows I'm with you," Sam answered, walking alongside me. "We need to talk."_

"_Actually,_ we _don't. I have nothing to say." More like I didn't want to hang around long enough for him to give me any more Alpha orders._

"_I can order you to—"_

"_This!" I shouted. "_This _is the reason why I have nothing to say! Who do you think you are, deciding who I can be friends with?"_

"_She's not the type of person you should be spending—"_

"_You don't get to decide that!" I interjected._

"_Your father agrees with me."_

"_Then he can tell me himself!"_

"_Fine! Maybe Billy will have a better time talking some sense into you!"_

"_Take the order back."_

"What_?"_

"_The order."_

"_What difference does it make now?"_

"_I want the freedom to visit her!"_

"_And tell her our secret?"_

"_We already know hers, I mean_ theirs_! Not that I'd say anything about us. I mean, admitting I turn into an oversized dog is probably not going to go over well." _

_Sam eyed me up and down and considered my words. _

"_Jacob, you're too young to understand this right now, but—"_

"_Piss off, Sam!" I butt in. "You're still a teenager too!" _

"_You've never been in a relationship with a girl before, not a serious one."_

"_No, I haven't, and at the rate things are going, it seems you're going to 'Alpha order' me against ever having one!" Anger kept me from thinking straight, thus the reason why I shouted words I should have kept to myself. "Just because you didn't get the girl_ you _chose, doesn't mean the rest of us can't!"_

_Sam punched me, and I let him. Quite frankly, I deserved it. _

_I picked myself up off the ground, my nose throbbing. Gingerly, I touched it, running a finger along the bridge. Sam had broken it._

"_It's beginning to heal. You better set it or it'll have to be re-broken." Who would have thought fast healing could be an inconvenience? _

_Sam's hands reached for my face. "I can set my own fucking nose!" I yelled, slapping his hand away._

"_No you can't—not unless you have eyes floating in front of your face. I promise to make you as pretty as you started off." I scowled but didn't move away. Sam smiled, and with a look of both regret and concern, his rough fingers re-aligned my nose. _

_We exchanged no other words, but we both knew all was forgiven because we were brothers, stuck with each other for…well, pretty much eternity, it would seem._

"_One day, Jacob, things are going to change, but for now, I'm in charge for a reason. If that weren't the case, then you would have been able to take the Alpha role the day we had our disagreement, and my orders would have had no effect on you. Like it or not, you're stuck with me, the same way I'll be stuck with you someday."_

"_Whatever," I muttered bitterly. "Still doesn't change the fact that you abused your authority when you butted into my personal life. I would never have done that! That's not what orders are for!"_

"_They're to protect us."_

"_Bella's not a threat! Even if I _did_ want to tell her I turn into a giant dog, what the hell is she going to do with that information? Tell her dad? Call the networks? She was tight with a coven of vampires! No one has more reason, or proven themselves more able, to keep secrets than she has!"_

"_She's one of_ them_. The last thing we need is to give them an unfair advantage."_

"_She's _not_ one of them! Even if she wanted to be once, that's not the case now. They tossed her away like garbage. What kind of person would go back after that? Maybe she has something to offer us—ever think of that? Don't you think there might be things she knows that we might find useful?"_

_For once, Sam considered my words with genuine interest. _

"_Do as you please, Jacob. I'm tired of fighting you. Just don't compromise the pack, and share what you learn with us."_

"_Is that a command?" I sneered._

"_It's a request." Sam let out a quiet sigh and walked away, muttering, "Can't wait to have kids…not."_

"Jake?" Bella's voice jarred me from my thoughts and back to today—my birthday.

"Did you say something?" I asked.

"Yeah…I've asked you three times if you want another empanada."

"Oh, sorry. Guess I was lost in the movie or something." She gave me a questioning look, pushing an empanada in my direction. "Oh, yeah, sure, sure. These are great." I took it from her, devoured it in one bite, and looked up at the movie screen. The credits were rolling past.

Bella was leaning all the way over to her side, keeping her distance from me. This night was too much like a date for her, but she had agreed to it because it was my birthday. That was okay. I knew she wasn't ready, but I was willing to wait. Time was nothing to me.

"Come on, let's go." I stood up, offering her a hand. She looked at it, contemplating before taking it. The moment she was on her feet, she pulled her hand out of my grasp.

"It was nothing, Bells. I was only helping you up."

"I know. I just didn't want you to get the wrong idea."

Slowly, we made our way out to the parking lot. It was quiet for a Saturday night, and no one was within earshot of us. Stopping at the car, I turned to face her, gently holding her arms.

"Bella, I know you're not ready, and that's okay. I can wait as long as you want. I'm not going anywhere."

"You'll be wasting your time, Jake. It's never going to be different for me."

"It's my time to waste."

Bella looked over at my Rabbit. Today, my sixteenth birthday, was the first day it had been taken out for a ride. "I'm not some car you can fix up. You can't get spare parts to replace what's broken inside me."

_He_ had broken her, and I was the only one left to put her back together. "This is because of him, right?" She wouldn't look me. "I'll always be here for you, Bells. I'd never hurt you."

In the distance, a wolf howled. We were in Port Angeles, so why was _he_ here?

"Jake?" My attention turned to the girl standing in front of me. How long had I been unresponsive? "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry." I took the keys out of my pocket and unlocked her door. "I've got to get back. There's something I need to do."

The howl sounded again, but louder this time—loud enough that Bella looked out into the distance, her face confused.

"What's so urgent that you need to attend to at eleven o'clock on a Saturday night, on your birthday no less?" she asked.

I held the door open and waited for her to get in. She didn't budge. "Please, Bella. This is kind of important."

There were two more howls, followed by what sounded like yelping or barking. Anxiety shot through me, and my body overheated. I trembled where I stood, the wolf wanting to join the pack that was calling for him.

"Jake, what's wrong?" Her hand reached out, touching my cheek. "You feel hot. I think you're coming down with a fever."

"You're probably right." This was good; I could use this. "Let's get back, and I promise to go straight to bed the minute I get home."

"Okay, are you all right to drive?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

I was unable to speak during the drive—the scent and sound of the running wolf too prominent to ignore. What was happening, and where were the others?

But I wasn't the only one creating the silence. Bella didn't look at me once. Her hands clung to the dashboard as we raced to Forks. She didn't complain, even though the excessive speed frightened her. It seemed to have brought back memories of him. She always got that way when something reminded her of him—silent and distant.

I pulled the car into her driveway, and opened my door before the car came to a complete stop. Bella noticed how rushed I was and was out by the time I got to her side of the car. She turned to walk away, but I stopped her, my hand on her elbow.

The wolf was waiting for me behind the trees, but I had more information now. The scent surrounding Bella's house was fresh and undeniably vampire. Was he back, or was it someone else?

Something was going to happen tonight. I could feel it in the air and in my heart. No other vampire had a reason to choose _this_ house over all the others. There was only one reason, one girl, who would bring him here.

The wolf in the trees paced, his paws padding on the moist earth. He was anxious, and the looming danger made me feel the same urgency.

"Bella, I don't care if you're broken or that you might never get fixed. I'm here for you, no matter what. I'll never leave."

Bella looked down at my hand and then her gaze moved up to my eyes. She was frightened, and I knew why. Sweat had dampened my face, dripping along my hairline. Heat, even more than usual, emanated from my body, and every limb trembled.

She reached over with her other hand, pressing it to my face.

"Are you okay, Jake? You should get home."

What if I left and didn't see her for days? What if _he_ got to her first? We had spent months becoming friends—_best_ friends. I didn't want to lose her.

"Bella? Can I ask you for something without you freaking out?"

I was going to wait until later, when the time was right, but now the right time may never come.

"Okay…" She looked scared.

I moved in closer, holding onto her with both hands.

"Will you kiss me?"

"No," she answered quickly, almost automatically.

"I won't let it mean anything," I pleaded. "I'll forget it happened. I feel like something's going to happen. I…don't feel…right." What else could I say? That her vampire was probably back, that I needed to stake a claim to give myself a fighting chance? All the reasons were self-serving.

"That's because you're sick." She sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

"Please?" She didn't reply, but that was good. It wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no either. Cautiously, I moved in closer, bending down. I paused, uncertain if I should just do it, but she answered me before I finished my thought.

Her lips touched mine, cool, soft, and cautious. Afraid of scaring her away, my hands wound slowly around her, resting on her back. Hers slid up to my neck, into my hair, grabbing hold. Bella's lips lingered before pressing firmly and moving with mine. For a moment, I forgot about the wolf pacing in the trees, the howl of another in the distance, and the stench of vampire surrounding us. I was lost in a fantasy where I was still just a boy and Bella was just a girl, both of us ignorant of anything other than school, friends, and first kisses—my first _real_ kiss anyway.

It was me who pulled away, and when I did, Bella's eyes were closed.

"Did you see?" Bella asked quietly. Alarmed, my eyes darted around, wondering if she had seen the leech. There was no one and nothing but us. She breathed in deeply, exhaled slowly, and murmured, "Jacob." Slowly, her eyes opened, meeting mine. She looked like she had awoken from a deep sleep—no, a dream—and her eyelashes fluttered, as though to focus, unaware of where she was.

The wolf yelped.

"Be here when I come back?" I asked.

Bella didn't ask what I was talking about. Instead, with knowing eyes, she answered, "Okay."

I took one last look and ran into the woods.

* * *

_If you'd like to read Bella's point of view during this first kiss, you can read it in the very short, one hundred word drabble, **First Kiss, Just Like the Other One**, which is one of the chapters within my story, **Twilight 25 Round 6**._

_Thanks for reading and sticking it out during my hiatus. The next chapter won't be so long in coming as this one, and as always, I appreciate each and every review!_


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